Students debate climate issues at councils’ second COP-style event

Ahead of a global leaders gathering in Brazil for COP30 next month, students from schools across Suffolk have taken part in their own event to tackle real-world climate change issues.

Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils’ second Schools Green Skills Summit saw 84 Year 8 and 9 students from across 10 schools, represent 16 nations in a COP-style event last Friday (October 10).

It follows the councils’ inaugural summit last year which saw:

• 100 per cent of students leaving with a better understanding of how they can tackle climate change; and
• 100 per cent of teachers looking to recommend the conference to peers.

The students debated real-world climate change challenges and emulated real-life negotiations, as world leaders will at COP30.

The council-run event, facilitated by InterClimate Network, and hosted by the Royal Hospital School, was designed to engage young people from a wide variety of socio-economic backgrounds about climate change and its effects.

The councils’ hope is to open up opportunities for local action and sustainable career choices for the next generation, coinciding with this year’s Green Careers Week (November 3 to 8).

Students were also encouraged to think about the local action they and their schools can take to help tackle the climate crisis and get towards net zero.

Schools that took part were:

• Royal Hospital School
• Holbrook Academy
• Stour Valley Community School
• East Bergholt High School
• Thomas Gainsborough School
• Ipswich High School
• Claydon High School
• Debenham High School
• Finborough School
• Framlingham College

As well as a COP-style debate, the event also included a Q&A session with local leaders and organisations, and a mini green skills careers fair.

Bella Mandy, a teacher at Ipswich High School, said: “It gives the students an understanding that they also have some power in the decision making when we kind of come back to a smaller scale as well.”

Helen Davies, the cabinet member for Climate Change, Nature Recovery and Biodiversity at Babergh District Council, said: “Putting on our second Schools Green Skills Summit is testament to our wider commitment to tackling climate change in Suffolk.

“We hope that by giving our younger residents the opportunity to experience a real-life climate debate will encourage them to take local action and plant the seed for future green skills careers.”

And Tim Weller, the cabinet member for Environment, Culture and Wellbeing at Mid Suffolk District Council, added: “This was another fantastic opportunity to engage our next generation of residents on climate issues and give them the skills, tools and confidence to explore green careers in future.

“We hope they’ve walked away from our second summit inspired and wanting to take local action at school and in their communities.”

The event was sponsored by:

• Gasway
• Morgan Sindalls
• Carbon Numbers
• Taylor Woodrow
• Gateway 14
• Muntons
• Denny Bros
• University of Suffolk
• Ecolytik
• Suffolk Sustainable Schools Network (funded by Suffolk Public Sector Leaders group)
• Soler & Palau Ventilation Group
• Suffolk New College