Supporting youth climate action after COP26: be part of our future
A message from James Streeter, Executive Chairman of InterClimate Network, to our network of supporters, colleagues and likeminded individuals and organisations.
Climate change is an intergenerational challenge and if we’re going to meet that challenge young people need to be empowered to be leaders.
Our vision at InterClimate Network is for young people to be given the tools to incorporate climate sustainability across every aspect of their lives, and to become leaders for a more sustainable future. We help them to learn about it, speak about it with people that make decisions, take action at school and at home, incorporate it into their subject choices and, ultimately, into their careers.
We’ve had an amazing last three years supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust during which we engaged with 184 schools and over 7500 students, of which 1250 students committed to take climate action and 140 became climate leaders (read more about how we measure impact). We raised £150,000 and developed a high-class team. Our paid associates deliver the programmes with the help of a broad range of professionals who provide their time voluntarily.
Our 13 years of working in secondary schools means we understand what young people want: they’re not shy and never afraid to express themselves. We also understand how to make an impact in the busy and pressurised school environment. Young people who participate in our programmes never forget their experience. Co-created with partners and critically reviewed by third parties our programmes have been proven to deliver outsize impact.
Our impact – an external perspective
“The Climate Voices II project has extended networks and demonstrated the potential for young people to be actively engaged in climate action. The approach adopted has been highly successful, resulting in considerable momentum for change among young people.”
Dr Katy Newell-Jones – 2022 End of Programme Report
There were a lot of commitments made at COP26 and now it’s time for action. Our ambition in this new phase is to expand our offering: to inspire young people to become climate leaders by understanding the complexity of the global issues, giving them a platform to engage with political leaders in Parliament through the All-Party Parliamentary Group, and take real action starting at school through innovative tools like our Climate Action Toolkit.
Our key enabler in the short term is to raise some seed funding for the next stage of our work. We need your help to raise £10,000 by the end of March. While we have already secured backing in the last few months from the abrdn Charitable Foundation and Dr. Martens Foundation for rolling out our Climate Action Toolkit in London and around the UK, this seed funding will allow us to keep up momentum as we continue to develop our long-term funding strategy. If you’re interested in supporting us as an individual, you can make a donation through our website using form below.
If you have any questions, or would like to discuss further, you can contact me at james.streeter@interclimate.org. Thank you for your continued support.
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