Reading schools’ Climate Conference

On November 10, Reading schools take over climate negotiations in a mock COP26 conference. School children from six local schools will take on the role of negotiating teams during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in the Civic Offices’ Council Chambers. They are Bulmershe School; Highdown School; Kendrick School; Maiden Erlegh School in Reading; King’s Academy Prospect and Reading School.

They will form teams representing a diverse mix of 15 developed and developing countries attending COP26 - including Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Kenya, the Marshall Islands, Saudi Arabia, Uganda, UK and USA. Putting forward policy positions using carefully chosen arguments in a conference debate model that mirrors the real life UN negotiations, the students will agree on a set of resolutions on key themes.

The conference will also feature a ‘Climate Question Time’, where young people will be invited to put forward their questions and contributions to a panel made up of local decision makers, a local business and an environmental organisation. The session will end with pledges for actions, including ways to make the most difference in school. 

The Mayor of Reading, Councillor David Stevens – will open the Conference, welcoming the students to the centre of local decision making. Councillor Tony Page, Reading Borough Council’s Lead Member for Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport and Reading Borough Council’s Head of Climate Strategy Peter Moore will join the Climate Question Time panel, along with speakers from the Youth Parliament, Thames Water and Nature Nurture.

The Reading Schools’ Model Climate Conference is organised by charity InterClimate Network, sponsored by Reading Climate Change Partnership (RCCP) and hosted by Reading Borough Council.