Impact
Young people we engage with are inspired to bring climate issues to life through their advocacy, actions and careers choices. Our programmes have a range of measurable impacts and wider benefits.
Our impact in numbers
We’re proud that our work has inspired young people from all over the UK to become advocates and leaders for action on climate change. From 2018-2021, the key measurable impacts of our core programme were:
Engagement
Over 7,500 young people from 184 secondary schools in the UK participated in climate conferences and other initiatives. 90% of students we surveyed after conferences felt their views were listened to.
- Explore our 2021 Conferences evaluation
Advocacy and action
83% of young people surveyed after events said that as a result of taking part, they now want to influence friends and family. Through our programme, over 1,200 young people have developed concrete plans for action and met with experts and decision-makers.
Leadership
Over 140 young people from 20 schools have shown leadership after participating in our programme, from participating in local government climate strategy to running for public office.
Inclusion
Over 49 of the 184 schools participating in our initiatives had above average rates of pupil premium allocations.
Developing innovative tools
During 2020-21 we developed and piloted the Climate Action Toolkit, a new, student-led climate action tool. The Toolkit has acted as a catalyst for climate action at school, regional and national level.
COP Comes to School
We have adapted our flagship climate conference resource to allow schools to run their own COP-style conference in the classroom, and rolled out this out nationally in 2021 to coincide with the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow.
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
Case studies
Supporting youth engagement with Reading’s climate strategy
We have worked with Reading School over the last six years to engage students in Model Climate Conferences and to support climate action work in schools. In 2019-20, we supported Reading sixth former Muhammed to work with a group of four students from across the year groups at Reading School to participate in Reading’s Climate Change Partnership climate emergency strategy meeting in June 2019, after attending one of our conferences.
Partnerships with higher education in Gloucestershire
Through our partnership with Cheltenham Borough Council, our team was put in touch with Dr Hazel Roberts, Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Gloucestershire who was looking to run a module where her students could support a community project. Following a meeting with 6 students they decided they would like to support us to develop the Climate Action Survey.
Students went on to undertake significant research into climate change, notably looking at impacts at an individual and community level, and around behaviour change. Their research, supported by our own parallel research, formed the framework for the Climate Acton Survey, which has now been rolled out to over 3,500 secondary school students nationally and is driving positive behaviour change at a school level.