Are We There Yet?: Incorporating Climate Change into CSEd

Climate change is the "biggest threat modern humans have ever faced". The implications of the crisis are imminent and grave. As part of COP26, leaders from all over the world agreed to the Glasgow Climate Pact with the goal of limiting the increased rise of global temperature by 1.5 degrees. With less than 8 years left until the 2030 UN deadline in which the climate effects become irreversible, how do we prepare learners for what might be an inevitable reality? How do we equip computing students with crucial technical, ethical, and leadership skills to mitigate its effect? More importantly, how do people in positions of power, departmental and institutional, be involved? In 2019, we formed an internal working group as part of ITiCSE conference to examine how computing institutions, departments, and faculty members dealt with, if at all, the climate emergency within CS education. Our efforts included conducting a literature review, interviewing CSEd climate experts, leading a world cafe session, and collating and publishing resources from various sources for the benefit of educators interested in incorporating climate change in the curriculum. And yet, there are still struggles reported with adopting these solutions, particularly in light of the global pandemic. This panel will serve as a public forum to express institutional, departmental, and individual challenges associated with tackling the climate crisis and share successful strategies, ideas, and experiences to support the CS community. The discussions will centre over five themes previously identified in the world cafe.