A SOLIHULL school was one of several schools from across the country to take part in a special climate action event.
Held in Gloucester, the event was hosted by the charity InterClimate Network (ICN), who aim to inspire young people in the UK to become leaders and advocates for action on climate change.
Pupils at Arden Academy had recently run a climate action survey within the school, which is part of the ICN’s research into young people’s views, behaviours and motivations around the climate crisis.
The findings from the survey helped the groups of students develop ideas for a climate action plan for their school, alongside a series of virtual workshops.
Pupils from Arden Academy worked alongside other students from Bristol and Gloucestershire to share their ideas for sustainability actions within their schools.
Some of the ideas presented included meat-free Mondays in the school canteen, a campaign to encourage more cycling to school and efforts to improve recycling and reduce energy waste.
The ideas for their campaign were then put to an expert panel, made up of volunteers from Benefact Group, Gloucestershire Youth Climate Group, Planet Cheltenham and Save the Children UK for feedback and suggestions on how they could bring their plans to life in their schools.
Councillor Andy Mackiewicz, Cabinet Portfolio Officer for Climate Change and Planning, said: “Like many of the schools in our borough, I’m delighted to see Arden Academy going the extra mile with their climate action.
“Being able to collaborate and network with schools from across the country no doubt provided fantastic learning when it comes to implementing their own eco-initiatives.
“We look forward to working with the InterClimate Network later this year when we host another youth climate debate in the Council Chamber.”
