Students gather for Reading Schools’ Climate Conference

Students from eight local secondary schools will be taking part in a youth summit which mirrors the debates happening in the United Nations climate change conference next week.  

Around 64 young people will be involved in this year’s Reading Schools’ Model Climate Conference in the Council Chamber at the Civic Offices on Tuesday 12 November.

The annual event coincides with the COP29 climate talks in Baku, Azerbaijan, which will be attended by a mix of developing, emerging and developed countries, including Australia, Barbados, India, the Marshall Islands, UK and USA.

The Reading conference is taking place during a month-long climate campaign being run by the Council, in partnership with the Met Office, which will be full of tips and advice about responding to climate change and highlighting the climate actions being taken locally.

Mayor of Reading Cllr Glenn Dennis will formally open the conference before the students are split into teams representing different countries and take part in a debate emulating the COP29.

They will generate joint proposals to speed up climate action and adaptation, agree resolutions on key themes and put forward policy positions using carefully chosen arguments that mirror the UN negotiations and drive for consensus.

The second part of the conference brings the issues closer to home with a Local Action session where schools will talk about their own work to reduce emissions and adapt to change.

Young people will then be invited to raise issues with a panel of decision makers and representatives of business and the community in a Climate Question Time.

The summit is organised by the charity InterClimate Network working together with Just Ideas, with a grant from the Reading Climate Change Partnership and sponsorship from Tomato Energy.

Reading’s Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport Cllr John Ennis, who will be on the panel, said:

“The Reading Schools’ Climate Conference is an excellent forum for bringing young people together to discuss and learn more about climate change in a thought-provoking and engaging way.

“I am always impressed by the knowledge and enthusiasm of the students who take part and how they speak so passionately about the environment and climate change.

“It fills me with hope that future generations will have the commitment and determination to drive forward the actions required in response to the climate crisis. It is essential we have young people on board to help us in our ambition to achieve a net zero Reading.”

Schools taking part in this year’s conference are: The Bulmershe School, Denefield School, Highdown School & Sixth Form Centre, Kendrick School, King’s Academy Prospect, Maiden Erlegh School in Reading, Reading Girls’ School and Reading School.

Brian Grady, Reading’s Director of Education at Brighter Futures for Children, said:

“It is increasingly vital that children learn about climate change and the environment at a young age, and the climate conference is a fantastic way for young people to learn and engage proactively.

“It’s great to see so many schools taking part in this year’s conference and providing a space to debate, learn and consider solutions to real world environmental issues.”

Michila Critchley, Programme Director at InterClimate Network, said:

“With each passing year, the need for urgent global action steps up another notch. 2024 has seen some truly awful scenes around the world as people from USA to India, to our own local area try to cope with intense weather. COP29 will try to secure greater ambition for climate action, and then it’s all about money and the need to unlock new sources of funding to tackle and adapt to climate change.

“This conference allows secondary school students from across Reading to become immersed in these critical global negotiations as at the UN and importantly, means they can put our own decision-makers on the spot. What’s key is that everyone leaves at the end of the day inspired and informed about climate action in school and our community.

“ICN greatly appreciates the support of Reading Borough Council and Reading Climate Change Partnership, as well as the sponsorship from Tomato Energy.”

The Council is pleased to be hosting the Reading Schools’ Climate Conference during its Local Climate Action campaign which is running throughout November.  The campaign, run in partnership with the Met Office, will give residents and businesses advice on how to be climate resilient, suggest actions that can benefit individuals and the environment, plus it will showcase some of the climate achievements of the Council and other organisations in Reading. Keep an eye on the Council’s social media channels through November.