8 December 09:30 – 14:30

Just Ideas and InterClimate Network are delighted to be working with Reading Borough Council and Reading Climate Change Partnership (RCCP) to offer a UN-style COP28 climate conference for Reading secondary schools.  See this full report from Reading 2022. 

All interested secondary schools should register your interest ASAP with: mary@just-ideas.co.uk .

Conference outline

The conference will be hosted in Reading’s Council Chambers in the Borough Council Civic offices on Friday 8th December. This will be the tenth time we have held this event in Reading, and Councillor Tony Page, Mayor of Reading, will officially open the conference. As in previous years participation gives students opportunities to: 

• Enhance critical climate thinking – bringing the ‘real world’ global climate negotiations to life as they represent 16 nations as at COP28 
• Investigate local climate action – finding out what more can be done in our schools and communities 
• Engage with local decision-makers – questioning politicians, business leaders, academics and community organisations to have a voice in Reading’s climate action. 

Part 1: Global Negotiations

Part 1 of the conference will be run as if students are taking part in global negotiations at COP28 in Dubai. Schools will each bring two country teams comprising four students each. Each team is asked to prepare their delegation’s (short) opening speech.

They will represent their country’s views and address key questions to then negotiate and propose climate resolutions that will be taken to a vote by the whole conference.   

Part 2: Local Action

Part 2 focuses closer to home so that participants can have a say about climate action in their local area. In a ‘Climate Question Time’, local decision-makers will make short contributions and young people will be invited to put forward their questions and contributions to the panel.

The session will end with pledges for actions from the students, including ways to make the most difference in school. The students will be supported to think about future engagement with local climate action through Reading Climate Change Partnership.

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Conference outline

09:00  Register and test microphones  

09:30  Welcome & opening 

Global Negotiations 

1.1 Progress since Paris 2015 

1.2 Raising global ambition 

1.3 Actions and resolutions 

12:20  Break 

Local Action  

2.1 Climate Question Time 

2.2 Pledges for climate action in school 

14:30  Conference close