Page 30 - IB January 2022

People

AUT to teach Climate Action

How to change society in order to combat climate change can The way that we understand and talk about these problems is
Scenes from Colin’s farewell (Photo: Aimless Photographer/Uto Ni Yalo Trust) and his work with young sailors in Beqa (Photos: Samantha Magick). now be studied at AUT. also important, he says.
A new Climate Action course is being introduced together “Never underestimate the value of story and narrative.
He represented Fiji at the 1988 Olympic Games in the Finn unteers and villages to the limits of their capabilities. A quiet, with a reshaped Bachelor of Arts, organised around the United Changing our understanding of what is possible is one of the
and Soling (sailing) events. unassuming person, Philp demanded discipline and commit- Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). biggest levers for change of all.
As a businessman, Philp ventured into selling nautical sup- ment in all areas of sailing – starting with construction. “Climate change is a grand challenge for the next few “Up until now we have often talked about climate action in
plies, sailing gear and finally, environmentally-friendly clean- Fijian sailor Loma Mataika described him thus: “He is the decades,” says Senior Lecturer David Hall, who is leading the terms of its costs in the present. But the future costs of climate
ing products for sailors and island resorts. kind of person who could catch a glimpse of the greatness in course. change completely outweigh this. In fact, taking action on
He was instrumental in the formation of the Fiji Voyaging a person and carve it out. He demanded your higher self be “We know a lot about the science of climate change, but how climate change will itself generate a lot of economic activity.
Society which saw the Uto Ni Yalo crewed by Fijians more present in times it was most needed. Then, like his own shy do we motivate people? What are the political and economic You are not just making sacrifices on behalf of the future, you
than 7000 kilometres around the Pacific. personality, allowed it to retract into its shell.’’ barriers to driving action, even when people agree that we need are actually creating new opportunities and benefits.”
Later, Philp would help form the Uto Ni Yalo Trust, becoming As Philp lay gravely ill, generous citizens offered money to to do the right thing? Climate Action will address these issues.” Dr Hall says he is hopeful for our climate’s future.
president and then trustee. help pay for his treatment. The new course aligns with Goal 13 of the United Nations “We are starting to see much more change in technology,
But in all that he did, Fiji’s island communities and the That money will now go towards training a new generation SDGs, of the same name. policy and mindsets, all of which lays the foundations for
nation’s environmental sustainability – especially the ocean - of sailors who will harness the power of the wind and waves Students studying AUT’s Bachelor of Arts from next year further change. It’s really a matter of accelerating the trends
was central to Philp’s actions. while navigating by the stars. will gain a solid foundation of knowledge, skills and applied that are already underway and making sure that the inevitable
“Our most valuable natural resource is our ocean,’’ Philp Philp has left behind more than a legacy. He has left a learning as they choose from a wide range of courses that align happens sooner rather than later.”
would often tell communities in which the Uto Ni Yalo Trust glimpse of what can be achieved to fight climate change with the SDGs. The course can be taken as part of the Diploma in Arts and
spread the message of sustainable sea transport and transfer through passion, commitment and discipline. Dr Hall says one key way to make progress with climate action the Bachelor of Arts, and as part of its conjoint degrees with
of local knowledge of navigation. “We need to look back in A mother of one of the Uto Ni Yalo Summer School students is to understand that our institutions are not well set up to the Bachelor of Business or the Bachelor of Computer and
order to find the way forward and that means learning from said: “Sailing is all my daughter can talk about. She made manage big structural transitions. Information Sciences.
our ancestors and passing those skills and that knowledge on friends, found a challenge and set herself a goal to sail the “So, it is really critical to take a systems approach and to In November, the University released its inaugural
to our young people.’’ world and help save the environment.’’ recognise that there is no one particular solution in one Sustainability Report, which documents progress and highlights
With the Uto Ni Yalo volunteers, Philp taught village com- On January 8, after a service at the Holy Trinity Anglican particular place — but there is a myriad of solutions. We really key achievements and its commitment to build a greener and
munities in Moturiki, Beqa and Kadavu to build, maintain and Cathedral, Philp was laid to rest just outside the entrance to must pull a multitude of levers in order to drive change.” more sustainable future.
sail drua left behind by the organisers of Eco Challenge 2020, Suva Harbour.
the World’s Toughest Race. You can read the report here:
On Beqa, Philp spent his days in the workshop, pushing vol- editor@islandsbusiness.com https://www.aut.ac.nz/about/social-responsibility/sustainability-at-aut/sustainability-report

30 Islands Business, January 2022