Secondary School Students Engage in Simulated Climate Policy Conference

Pupils from 14 secondary schools participated in a simulated climate conference, where they practiced negotiating climate policy. This event, held at Cheltenham Borough Council’s chambers, brought together county students to establish funding objectives and develop collaborative proposals, aligning with the United Nations climate change conference (COP29) taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan. Leo, a pupil from Chosen Hill, was present at the summit and stated that his school’s eco team is “concerned” about climate change. During the conference, individual students acted as representatives for a variety of developing, emerging, and developed nations. Countries such as Australia, Barbados, India, the Marshall Islands, the UK, and the United States were among those portrayed. Participants were tasked with reaching agreement on resolutions concerning significant themes and presenting policy stances, employing well-considered arguments within a conference debate designed to emulate UN negotiations and the pursuit of consensus. The mayor of Cheltenham, Paul Baker, officially inaugurated the conference. Cheltenham Borough Council served as the host and provided support for the event, which received financial assistance through a grant from Cheltenham Community Pride. Michila Critchley, representing the charity InterClimate Network, the organizer of the day’s activities, commented that students stood to gain “so many things” from their involvement. Ms Critchley remarked: “It’s about building agreements, seeing what solutions can work and then seeing how you can do something about them.” Leo, aged 13, belongs to his school’s eco team. He and fellow team members placed stickers throughout the school, encouraging their classmates to switch off lights. Regarding the simulated conference, he stated: “If you say one thing, the other countries might disagree with it, so you’ve got to try and meet somewhere in the middle.” He added concerning his eco team: “In the eco team, [climate change] is something we’re concerned about, especially the glaciers that are melting.” COP29, which commenced on 11 November, is scheduled to conclude in Baku on 22 November. For updates, follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted via email or WhatsApp at 0800 313 4630. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.