6 December 09:30 to 14:30

InterClimate Network (ICN) is delighted to be working with Birmingham City Council to offer a UN-style COP28 climate conference for Birmingham secondary schools. The conference will be held in the  Council Chambers on Wednesday 6 December and will:

• Enhance critical climate thinking and bring the ‘real world’ global climate negotiations to life as they represent 16 nations as at COP28 in Dubai.
• Investigate local climate action and what more can be done in our schools and communities.

 

Free to schools, and suited to Years 8-13, places are limited (max of 16 country teams with 4 per team) so register your interest asap: schools@interclimate.org.

Speaking in the impressive Council Chambers may seem daunting, so our approaches ensure all can contribute as the conference progresses from debate to voting, to dynamic joint collaborations and decision-making on key themes. Teachers’ feedback and research indicate multiple benefits of mock climate negotiations as they engage students, including:

• Learning through experience
• Understanding alternative viewpoints in a complex environment
• Gaining awareness of the ‘bigger picture’.

 

Conference outline

Secondary schools across Birmingham are invited to participate in this conference in the impressive Council Chambers. There is formal seating in the chambers for a maximum of 16 country teams of 4 students per ‘delegation’. Please let us know the number if additional students want to attend (swapping in, if they want) as there is also viewing room.

 

Part 1: Global Negotiations

In preparation, students will be allocated countries using our COP28 Climate Resource. Their team task in advance is to research a short opening statement to present on the day. At the conference, they will debate progress towards pledged carbon reduction targets made in Paris before trying to agree more ambitious climate action by 2030. Methodologies facilitate many key life-skills from team work and public-speaking to collaboration and joint decision-making.

 

Part 2: Climate Action

The focus in the second part of the conference then turns to our own national and local climate action. As well as exploring how students and schools can make a difference in support of Net Zero, a Climate Question Time is a chance for young people’s questions to go directly to local decision-makers.

All participants are encouraged to pledge an action for school or their organisation and themselves to continue the sense of agency generated at the conference.

Here are just some of the things young people planned to do after taking part:

“I will try to educate my friends and family on the dangers of climate change and how we can get involved as a community.”

“I will discuss policies that we could implement in school with my headteacher.”

“I am thinking about joining the youth council.”