On November 13th, 2025, the Council Chambers at Cheltenham Borough Council’s Municipal Offices became the stage for climate diplomacy as 12 Gloucestershire secondary schools took on the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. 

69 students, representing countries from across the globe, came together to replicate COP30, the UN Climate Conference hosted this year in Belém, Brazil, before turning their focus to local action. Learn more about our youth COP30 events here.

The discussions have been captured by Rachael Clarke, a Communications and Media student at the University of Gloucestershire, who attended alongside peers as part of their course.

Impact report

Pushing for ambition to overcome political divides

Dr David Willingham, Mayor of Cheltenham Borough Council, set the tone for the day with a powerful message to the students filling the chamber, a space that usually seats only 40 council members. 

“You are the future; the fight is not necessarily about science – it’s about human nature and finding the truth in misinformation. Don’t stop asking questions.” 

His words proved prophetic as the day’s debates revealed just how complex and contentious the path to climate action really is. 

Erica Purvis, co-chairing the conference, outlined the Paris Agreement targets that frame all climate negotiations. With this she reminded students that actions need to be tangible and not just promises. 

The opening statements alone revealed the divides that characterise real world climate talks. Teams from Cleeve school, Dean Close school and Pate’s Grammar School all represented major economic powers, while students from schools such as Balcarras and Churchdown School gave voice to vulnerable nations bearing the brunt of climate impacts they did little to cause. 

When students were asked whether sufficient progress was being made on emission targets, the chamber erupted into the kind of heated debate that would make the UN negotiators potentially uncomfortable. The European Union, represented by Pate’s Grammar School, attempted to build a coalition with other major economies. But tensions grew when multiple countries challenged the commitment of the world’s largest economy.

Dean Close Schools USA delegation faced criticism from Bangladesh (Sir Thomas Rich’s), who delivered one of the day’s most memorable lines “If you focus only on economic growth, there will be no stable climate to sustain that economy.” 

Throughout the debate, St Edward’s School who represented Chile kept returning to issues of social justice, asking the question that remained for the duration of the conference: who bears the cost of fixing a crisis they didn’t create? 

The second major question pushed delegates further: Would they do even more than their current commitments? Here the negotiations became more constructive, though no less complex. Students broke into four working groups – Cities, Energy, Food and Forest and Oceans – to forge agreements. The results were impressive such as grants to subsidise public transport, early warning systems for natural disasters, accelerating renewable energy transitions, and innovative financing mechanisms including a proposal for annual investments in sustainable agriculture.

What emerged was a pattern familiar from actual UN conferences – smaller nations pushing for ambition, larger economies negotiating the pace of change, and everyone grappling with the tension between what’s necessary and what’s politically possible.  

Voices of Tomorrow podcast

Media and Communications students from the University of Gloucestershire recorded a special podcast at the event. Listen now.

With thanks to Jaimar, Ruby, Rachel, Christian, Kieran, Sophie, and Grace.

Determined optimism and meaningful conversations

Following lunch, students shifted their focus from global negotiations to local impact. The climate action marketplace buzzed with conversations between students and organisations working on the ground in Gloucestershire. 

Students put their questions directly to decision-makers who could implement change: 

Cllr Richard Pinegar, Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency at Cheltenham Borough Council, faced questions alongside Maizy McCann, the Council’s Climate Officer, and Cllr Martin Horwood, who leads on nature, climate and waste reduction for Gloucestershire County Council. 

Raechel Kelly representing Vision 21/Planet Cheltenham shared their 30 years of climate action work in the county, while Professor Kenny Lynch from the University of Gloucestershire highlighted the institution’s ambitious Carbon Net Zero Strategy. The University has already achieved reducing their emissions, divesting from fossil fuels, and embedding sustainability into its operations and curriculum, proof that ambitious targets can be met ahead of schedule. 

What made the day remarkable wasn’t just the sophisticated understanding these young people demonstrated of climate science and international relations. It was their willingness to engage with the messy reality that climate action requires difficult choices, competing interests, and the kind of determined optimism that refuses to be paralysed by the scale of the challenge. 

As Dr Willingham noted in his opening remarks, changing behaviour is harder than changing technology. These students proved they understand that – and they’re ready to do both. The twelve participating schools left the chamber with more than just knowledge about climate policy. They are left with experience in the kind of difficult conversations that will define their futures. 

Download Question Time Panel Q & A

Who participated?

12 schools: Balcarras School, Cleeve School, Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Chosen Hill School, Churchdown School, Dean Close School, Denmark Road High School, Pate’s Grammar School, Pittville School, Sir Thomas Rich’s School, St Edward’s School, The High School Leckhampton.

Climate Question Time panel

  • Cllr Martin Horwood, Gloucestershire County Council, Cabinet Member for Nature, Climate & Waste Reduction
  • Cllr Richard Pinegar, Cheltenham Borough Council, Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency
  • Kenny Lynch, University of Gloucestershire
  • Maizy McCann, Cheltenham Borough Council, Climate Officer
  • Raechel Kelly, Planet Cheltenham/Vision21

Climate action marketplace: Cheltenham Borough Council (CBC) Cheltenham Zero; CBC Green Space Team; CBC Social Housing Climate Officer; CBC Trees Team; CBC Climate and Flooding Team; CBC Community, Partnership and Wellbeing Team; Gloucestershire County Council Sustainability Team & Garden Organic; Lets Go Zero; Poco Culina; RRA Architects; Severn Wye Energy Agency; Vision 21/Planet Cheltenham

Funding and support

The conference was hosted by Cheltenham Borough Council with great support from the council’s Climate Team, Cheltenham Zero and Cheltenham Education Partnership.

Funding for the conference came from dedicated sponsors, including Gloucestershire County Council, Precision Green Energy, RRA Architects, and Spirax Sarco.

Thanks also to contributions and matched funding from Big Give, and a DWF Foundation Grant underpinning the event. 

Thanks to Poco Culina for providing food at the Conference. They are based in Charlton Kings and offer creative, plant-based catering with a sprinkle of Eastern magic.

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