Local schools take over climate negotiations in mock COP29 conference

Published: Friday, 22nd November 2024

More than 80 secondary school students from across Birmingham gathered at the Council House to discuss how to tackle the climate emergency.

The young people formed teams representing a diverse mix of developing, emerging and developed countries attending COP29 - including Australia, Barbados, India, the Marshall Islands, UK and USA as well as hosts Azerbaijan.

Resolutions on key themes were agreed and policy positions proposed using carefully chosen arguments in a conference debate that mirrored the UN negotiations and the drive for consensus.

Organised by the charity InterClimate Network (ICN) working with Birmingham City Council, the conference also gave the young people the chance to meet a wide range of council teams and local organisations, as well as other schools, and put questions to the cabinet member.

Cllr Majid Mahmood, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “It was great to see these young people getting so involved and asking really tough and thoughtful questions. They understand the urgency and know that as a city we can and must come up with ideas that help ensure we are no longer adding to carbon emissions.

“These young people will be living through the effects of the actions we take now so we have a responsibility to make a difference, and they have a really powerful collective voice.”

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 summit allows secondary school students from across the area 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 Birmingham City Council for this event.”

 

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