Students from five major Virginia universities gathered on Earth Day to push for transparency and accountability in their schools’ climate commitments as the federal government rolls back environmental protections.
Charles Paullin reports for Inside Climate News.
In short:
- Students from Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, George Mason University, and the University of Richmond rallied to demand bolder climate action, forming a reinvigorated Virginia Student Environmental Coalition.
- Organizers criticized the lack of transparency in university sustainability plans, calling out weak or outdated emissions targets and demanding renewable energy investments like rooftop solar and carbon-free heating.
- The rallies also served as a protest against national environmental policy shifts under President Trump, including concerns about a proposed natural gas peaker plant in an environmental justice community and rollbacks on DEI initiatives.
Key quote:
“There’s definitely a sense of urgency.”
— Catherine Shewchuk, junior at Virginia Tech studying environmental policy and planning
Why this matters:
The student protests in Virginia reflect a broader national tension between young climate advocates and institutions navigating environmental policy in the Trump era. College campuses, often seen as incubators of social and scientific progress, are under scrutiny for failing to meet the ambitious climate goals they’ve publicly committed to. At the same time, the federal government’s dismantling of environmental and equity protections under Trump has galvanized a new generation of activists, blending climate advocacy with broader social justice demands. Dominion Energy’s push for new fossil fuel infrastructure, particularly in marginalized communities, underscores how environmental decisions continue to have disproportionate impacts.
Related: Climate protests may shape politics more than you think
