STUDENTS from across Redditch came together to debate the climate crisis at Rachel Maclean MP’s COP26 Schools Summit.
The summit took place last Friday. October 1, at the Ecumenical Centre in Redditch town centre.
Six schools took part in the event, with St Bede’s Catholic Middle School, St Augustine’s Catholic High School, Tudor Grange Academy, Trinity High School, Ipsley CE RSA Academy and Arrow Vale RSA Academy each sending two students to the summit.
Students took part in person and virtually.
At the summit, each school represented a country which will be taking part in the crucial COP26 Summit in Glasgow later this month.
COP26 is of vital important as currently the world is not on track to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees and if mankind continues on its present path temperatures will carry on rising, bringing more catastrophic flooding, bush fires, extreme weather and the destruction of more species.
To hit the 1.5 degrees target the world needs to reach net zero emissions by 2050, the target set by Worcestershire County Council.
Other local authorities, including the West Midlands combined Authority covering all of Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Solihull and Coventry, have set more ambitious targets of achieving net zero by 2041.
At the COP26 Schools Summit in Redditch Mrs Maclean was joined by Councillor Anthony Lovell, (Con, Winyates) portfolio holder for climate change on Redditch Borough Council, who co-chaired the event and highlighted the work going on locally to protect the environment.
“Thank you to all the students and teachers who prepared their contributions and worked so hard to research the topics,” said Mrs Maclean.
“I’m dedicated to supporting young people in their passion to fight climate change and to reach Net Zero.
“They are our future, and we must leave the planet in a better state than we found it.”
