As part of the COP26 Youth Climate programme, around 100 of the young people taking part gathered in Edinburgh at the end of February, to meet, learn, and celebrate their achievements so far. Hosted at Dynamic Earth, YoungScot organised this residential event, with young people travelling from across the country to meet up, many of them meeting each other for the first time!
Over the weekend we ran sessions of Climate Emergency Training with groups of attendees. Our first in-person training! We had great discussions about carbon emissions, climate justice, and what we can all do to make a difference, reducing our carbon footprints and advocating for widespread change. It was great to see their enthusiasm in-person and have such an interactive experience.
We also had the opportunity to support some of the other really interesting sessions including a discussion on the Youth Summit Declaration and creating suggestions for pledges. It was a great opportunity for us to learn from these passionate young people about some of the key issues that impact their lives, such as those living in rural or island areas, what they want to see from education, and their demands for cleaner, more accessible energy.
On the final day, we ran a relaunch of the Climate Emergency Training Toolkit, running a variety of our new activities. We had great discussions about how young people fit into the climate movement, how fast fashion supply chains work, different types of energy production, and how to eat seasonally to reduce your carbon footprint. These activities, including games for a range of ages, are all available to download from our Toolkit page. We’re excited to relaunch this toolkit particularly for youth workers and those who work with young people, as a great resource to start or continue conversations around climate change and the legacy of COP26.
Personally, the residential was such an encouraging event, I had a great time chatting to all the young people about their experiences. I had such an eye-opening experience listening to the concerns and ideas from those taking part, they are all truly inspiring. They have dedicated so much of their time and energy to this fantastic project, and I am certain it will have a lasting impact, through their actions and ideas going forward. It has filled me with hope moving forwards, that we have passionate young people, ready to lead the way towards meaningful climate action.
To find out more about what you can do to support young people in taking climate action our Toolkit is available with some great ideas and activities and we offer a range of courses to help you understand climate change and learn how to reduce your carbon footprint.
