Our UN-style model climate conferences inspire and enable students to ‘think globally, act locally’. Teams research and represent countries, presenting and passionately debating global challenges and achievements before engaging with local climate action.

Background

At the United Nations (UN) 2015 climate talks, world leaders from 196 countries agreed a landmark international treaty – the Paris Agreement – to keep the global rise in temperature well below 2 degrees Celsius. Countries signed up by providing their own national targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are causing global temperature rises and negative impacts around the world. 

The UN annual meeting in United Arab Emirates (UAE) 2023 was a global stocktake but the 6th Synthesis Report published by the world’s scientists ahead of the talks showed beyond doubt just how far off track we are saying that, ‘risks are increasing with every increment of warming‘ (IPCC 2023, p.17). 

World leaders representing nearly 200 nations at COP28 collectively committed for the first time to an energy transition that signals the ‘ beginning of the end‘ of the fossil fuel era. Renewable energy is to be tripled by 2030. Crucially for developing and most vulnerable nations, a much campaigned for ‘Loss and Damage’ Fund became reality.  

Later this year nations will come together in Baku, Azerbaijan working to enhance international climate cooperation. See regular updates here: COP29 Azerbaijan.

ICN led conferences

Click here for the review and student-feedback from conferences in 2023 and on the gallery below for recent conferences. This is a short film from one of our climate conference events:

ICN has run climate conferences with secondary school students for 14 years, typically held with the support of local councils in impressive council chambers.  

Our aim is to provide a multi-dimensional learning opportunity for students that enhances critical thinking about the global climate crisis and links directly to local action in their communities and schools. 

Guided by our resource activities and briefings student teams research and represent a range of countries, presenting their country pledges and climate challenges. Role-play methodologies bring to life critical UN-style climate negotiations and collaborations to raise global ambition for action during the conference. 

After taking part in their own decision-making, students have the important opportunity to  

  • Meet with and question local decision-makers about progress on climate action and what more schools can do.  
  • Investigate a range of local organisations’ ideas to inspire their own advocacy and climate action. 

“I found it an amazing inspirational session that I really took a lot from.”

Student, 2023.

Run your own COP

ICN has made our tried and tested UN-style climate conference format into an award-winning resource that’s adaptable for a range of secondary settings, including: 

  • Sequences of Environmental Science lessons culminating in classroom conferences 
  • Off-curriculum conferences across year groups, whole schools and across academy chains 
  • Virtual and live conferences with eco-school networks 
  • Conferences led by linked and partner organisations with other councils’ support. 

We provide free on-line training on how to run a climate conference aimed at teachers, older student leads and other facilitators. We also have a network of experienced facilitators who can support your conference (charged). 

Contact  schools@interclimate.org for more details.  

Please include us in any social media posts from your conference @InterClimate. 

“The three-lesson info on the website was very useful. Real solutions inform was particularly useful.”  

Teacher, 2023.

Student skills and benefits

  • Greater comprehension of and critical thinking about global climate issues 
  • New knowledge, awareness of COP and perspectives on other countries 
  • Research, analysis and interpretation and debating skills, conflict resolution skills and teamwork 
  • Public speaking, articulacy and oracy, justification, and critical thinking skills 
  • Understanding alternative viewpoints in a complex environment 
  • Confidence, real world and ‘cultural capital’ 
  • Awareness of the bigger picture and need to involve more students in school. 

Resources & briefings

Click here for the COP28 resource comprising teacher guidance, preparation activities and briefings to hold your own high quality UN-style summit in class or across school(s): 

ICN COP28 Conference Resource 

ICN will update our full set of preparation activities and country briefings for COP29. 

A) Three activities culminating in a climate conference

I-CAN Toolkit: Theme 3

Use these three activities to suit your own programmes. They may be run compactly over 3 lessons or spread over 6 lessons, with an eco-group or in a sequence of off-curriculum days. Notes and links accompany each of three session powerpoints:

  1. The road to Dubai outlines vital stages of UN decision making and poses questions for students to critically discuss global responses to the climate crisis.
  2. Get ready for your conference sets out the countries and has an optional planner for students’ opening speeches.
  3. COP28 comes to school guides you and your students through your own UN-style climate conference and includes specific notes for the conference chair.

B) COP28 Briefings

COP28 Overview aids students’ preparations and can be used during their conference for background information and statistics, as well as a summary of all country positions. Potential collaborations are offered on the final page. Download here.

16 Country Briefings provide detailed notes and research links for your conference preparations, including an opening speech (ideally of 1 minute). 12 to 14 countries may be the ideal number for your conference as all countries will undoubtedly want to contribute fully to the debate. Select from across the four headers in the table below so that a range of perspectives is represented.

Click here to access the full set of activities and country briefings: ICN COP28 Conference Resource.

LDCs/SIDS/Vulnerable (V20)BRICS* _________ Other Emerging EconomiesIndustrialised (HICs)
BangladeshBrazilChileAustralia
BarbadosChinaEgyptEuropean Union
Marshall IslandsIndiaIndonesiaUnited Kingdom
UgandaSouth AfricaUnited Arab Emirates **USA

* Alliance between Brazil, Russian Federation, India, China and South Africa. United Arab Emirates and Egypt are among six nations that will join this alliance from 2024.

**The United Arab Emirates had the Presidency of COP28.

Endorsements

Reboot the Future Top Resource Award:

“The Top Resource Award goes to the five individual resources we’ve found to be the most helpful, inspiring and effectively designed. Your resource was selected because with students studying the key aspects of the climate crisis, the functions of the UN and learning to empathise with different countries’ situations, this offers a fantastic, multi-layered learning experience.”

Reboot the Future

Teacher feedback after Conference event:

Thanks for all of your time and effort in organising and hosting this event, it is one of the best activities I have taken part in with my eco group over the years. I like the fact that it is specific, focused, with an overall outcome at the end.”

Teacher, 2021 Conference

Reflection on using the resource in the classroom:

“Students were really engaged with the fact that the UK was hosting COP26 and were really interested in the causes and impacts of climate change, they had a lot of prior knowledge here. Students who had a connection to their country were far more likely to get passionate about their research, e.g. a boy with Indian family did amazing research into India’s position. There was a lot of excitement around familiar countries. Students definitely valued the opportunity to learn more about the issue of the day.”

Teacher, Devon

“It went very well, way beyond my expectations. The kids spoke a very good level of English, and were focused throughout the whole morning. I had an impression, that this generation is much more concerned about the issue.”

Balazs Nagy, Anthropolis, Hungary (I-CAN partner)

Feedback from students:

“It was a very fun and educational event and I would love to see more events like this.” 

“Thank you so much for this opportunity! I’ll never forget it!” 

“This was a great opportunity for me, I had lots of fun and I hope it is offered to other people in the future.”