Shifting Discourse on Climate and Sustainability: Key Characteristics of the Higher Education Fossil Fuel Divestment Movement

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The research could be of great interest that tackles a subject with a high degree of importance. The structure of the study is well prepared and matches the journal's requirements with high number of current references. The manuscript provides significant novelty and contributes to widening the existing literature; however, I have some suggestions; see below.

Change which must be made before publication:

The introduction section in the present form is more comprehensive as it is needed. I suggest shortening it; however, introducing the background regarding the topic shall be of the same high quality.

The suggestion which would improve the quality of the paper but are not essential for publication:

Figures may be added to the Results section with dedicated attention to regional patterns of common goals and themes (Table 2. and 3.). In the Discussion, the authors mentioned some regional aspects (line 384-397), but I suggest paying more attention to spatial patterns. I think this new content may improve the quality of the paper, and the finalized study can attract more potential readers. However, as I indicated above, it is optional; the manuscript is complete and comprehensive in its present form.

 

 

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

A paper that is interesting, treat current issues and it is written in a way that is easy to follow, clear, using a rigorous and objective approach.

The article would be more interesting if the aspects reported in the conclusions could be strengthened, tested and validated, by approaching the research by using the analysis of the answers to interviews with key stakeholders.

Author Response

Please see attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Climate change is a global crisis. This article presents an overview and analysis of the characteristics of the higher education (HE) fossil fuel divestment movement in the US by a text analysis of 10 Facebook pages for campaigns at higher education institutions (HEIs). The results indicate that campaigns occur at a wide array of HEIs, concentrated on the east and west coasts. Student-led campaigns set broad goals for divestment, while reinvestment is often a less clearly defined objective. This study provides a better understanding of the movement’s characteristics, demands, and how it fits within the broader context of sustainability and climate change discourse and action in HE and beyond.

It is a good job. My comments are as below.

[1] I think the Abstract can be improved, deleting unnecessary sentences and making topic, method and results clear.

[2] I suggest “fossil fuel divestment divestment movement; climate justice; higher education; key characteristics” as Keywords.

[3] I suggest adding figures to visualize these goals with their percentages in “3.2 Campaigns Stakeholders and Goals” or other parts.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf