Ailsa Lamont: “A Window of Opportunity” to Address the Climate Crisis

Conversations around sustainability in international education have increased in recent years, and there is a growing contingent of international educators who are mobilizing for action to address the climate crisis.

One key voice is Ailsa Lamont, who is the director of Pomegranate Global, an international education consulting group that offers a range of climate action services. Based in Australia, Ailsa currently serves as president of CANIE, the Climate Action Network for International Educators, which she co-founded in 2020. She is also one of NAFSA’s 2020-2021 Senior Fellows, a group that wrote the white paper titled Sustainability in International Education.

In this episode of the IE Podcast, we spoke with Ailsa about: 

• her background in international education and interest in climate change, and how they intersect; 
• the biggest misconceptions and assumptions people in international education have about the climate crisis; 
• the challenges when it comes to sustainability in international education, as well as the opportunities to address those challenges; and 
• practical ways international educators can make a difference in addressing the climate crisis on their campuses.

More information and resources:

• CANIE
• Pomegranate Global
• Sustainability in International Education
• “Environmental Sustainability and Internationalization: Challenges and Opportunities”
• “Creating a Path Forward: International Education, Climate Change, and Sustainability”