Ushika Kidd Reflects on OCS in Her Role as Co-President ‘24-’25

Heading into Jesus College post-Trinity collections in May 2023, I am fairly certain this was the first committee meeting of my undergraduate career. We sat in a circle, and I distinctly remember the ice-breakers, which included throwing wool at each other to create a web of interrelated climate concepts. Why this vignette? Well, at the time I assumed that’s how all meetings went, and entering co-presidency the following year, I sought to emulate that very first sense of excitement of being part of something bigger.

One thing that makes OCS stand out, as I have come to discover, is its spheres of influence. The society occupies a unique space between a student-run society and an international organisation, creating an ideally situated platform for our education and advocacy efforts. A society striving for change naturally has reach beyond Oxford, and we have had exceptional contributors help us establish the OCS x OxCAN (Climate Alumni Network) mentorship scheme, re-introduce the OCS blog, and as must be mentioned, go to COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan!

Of course, these ambitions were incited from within the OCS team. Across the last three terms, we have welcomed team members on a rolling basis, a move that has seen our activities flourish. (Here, I direct readers to view the teams’ reflections, posted to our Instagram.) This was a decision made over the summer and implemented throughout Michaelmas, as the Freshers’ enthusiasm did not waver–including increased postgraduate interest.

The summer vacation allowed for much of the preparatory work that the new academic year required. With big ideas for the upcoming year, Flora and I started putting together the foundations. In retrospect, this was a key period and learning curve as co-presidents. We coordinated with the Oxford Climate Alumni Network to propose the mentoring scheme, and liaised with Maisy Bentley, the driving force behind the Climate in the Curriculum Campaign (you can find the reading lists here). It was also an important time to continue the momentum with our schools outreach, which began in Trinity in collaboration with OxSSN (Schools Sustainability Network), has continued with the work of the Partnerships & Campaigns team, and complements the new Oxford chapter of Climate Ed. Additionally, in September, Flora and I, representing OCS, were invited to participate in the planning forumfor the Right Here Right Now (RHRN) Climate Change and Human Rights Summit, which will be taking place this June. The first steps around and outside Oxford were being made.

Alongside this, the Education team were putting together the Michaelmas School of Climate Change – our well-established global network. The in-person session was run successfully throughout Michaelmas, and the sheer volume of Slack notifications said everything you need to know about the levels of organisation required to pull off one, while planning the next. It has really been amazing to see the international acclaim, prestige, and traction of the School of Climate Change (this time, the LinkedIn notifications are most revealing of this). The website visuals, with thanks to our resident IT whizz and incoming Education team director Rebecca, are also second to none!

One of the best things about leadership: making the executive decision to collectively decide as a committee what really makes OCS, “OCS”. Following our brainstorming sessions in TT24, a lot of this comes down to the events we held. Our term cards not only characterise OCS as student-led and designed to share climate education, but also leave room for creativity, through exciting speakers and series. From MEGA (Make Earth Green Again, obviously) to panels on ‘The Growth Paradox’, climate misinformation, and environmental journalism; and talks on food sustainability and climate policy, the Events team showcased our mission to demonstrate interdisciplinary perspectives on climate. Several of these events could not have been done without collaborations with other societies and organisations: from the Borrowed Earth Project to Ocean Generation and Carbon Brief; and all the societies that make up Climate & Cocktails, a venture I inaugurated in TT24 to start bringing the climate conversations together! HT25 rounded up with Kate Raworth addressing members of both OCS and OxSID – to this, she remarked how having both in the same room compelled her to deliver her lecture on Doughnut Economics. We hope that these collaborations continue to fade from the domain of novelty.

And we can’t forget Planet Art, which began in MT23 and is now approaching its fourth iteration! The event demonstrates the value of artistry and creativity in forming an inclusive and hopeful atmosphere, which speaks to OCS’ core principles. The positive reception we have had over the two years has been enough to make the night one of the most highly anticipated of term. Look out for the next one taking place this June at Tap Social!

As president, the “behind-the-scenes” work and the day-to-day might become blurred, especially as longer-term projects take a while to come to fruition. COP may have been the biggest example of this. In fact, most of the crucial details only came together in the days before departure. It also would not have happened – definitely not in the way it played out – without a lot of advice from peers and colleagues. The week in Baku was an immense learning experience and it speaks a lot to our engagement with the university. In the months following I have increasingly seen how impactful our participation has been, and we can already see the collaborations and momentum built being taken up by the next committee.

Finally, to speak about the difficulties of navigating a tense political climate…around the climate. It was naive to not consider that leading OCS, we would be confronted with the question of: what is the place of the climate in politics? Shirin Ermis, co-president 2023/24 reflected in her year round-up on the state of campaigning and advocacy, particularly in the wake of the COVID pandemic. The climate crisis can feel difficult to grasp, especially when there are constant demands on your time and energy. Several global events called for solidarity throughout the year.  On 6 May 2024, Oxford Action for Palestine (OA4P) established the liberated zone; the encampment (and later, encampments) became a feature of the Oxford landscape throughout Trinity Term, and the charged atmosphere remains salient to fellow students worldwide. The election of President Trump in November 2024, days before COP29, also proved the volatility of climate action and how far all these crises intersect. They are inextricable to each other, and in response we need to uphold our integrity. We need to champion ourselves and each other to engage with the climate–and everything this entails.

In the face of hypocrisy and constant rhetoric, OCS excels at disseminating tools for climate knowledge, but it is also a development opportunity for all who volunteer their time. With the conclusion of HT25, I believe we have all curated an OCS to be proud of, and that will thrive–and I will miss the experience. It only really leaves me to say, go boost your day with the Media team’s Positive Climate News!