Press release 07.10.20

Youth Climate Summit press release: 50 organisations unite for Youth Climate Summit

Headline: 50 organisations from education and environment sectors collaborate to launch Youth Climate Summit to schools across the UK

• The free virtual Summit, organised by charity Global Action Plan, and hosted on their Transform Our World teacher resource hub, will include 136 sessions hosted by primary and secondary schools, organisations and charities.
• Running from 9-13^th November across five themed days, the Summit will provide a collective route for young people to make climate action pledges, culminating in a panel event on Friday 13th November.

Dozens of organisations, including WWF and Greenpeace, will run sessions at the Youth Climate Summit 2020, a virtual week of online events bringing schools from around the UK together to get on the Climate Action Map and make pledges for the planet.

Designed by schools for schools, and happening during the week of what would have been the COP 26 Summit in Glasgow, the Youth Climate Summit has been put together by a dedicated group of teachers with the support of environmental charity Global Action Plan, who are hosting the event on the Transform Our World teacher resource hub.

Transform Our World is funded through the #iwill Fund, which is made possible thanks to a £50 million joint investment from The National Lottery Community Fund and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to support young people to access high quality social action opportunities, such as volunteering and campaigning, around the issues that matter to them.

With 136 sessions across the week - for primaries, secondaries and all ages - as well as after school clubs, careers sessions and film viewings, the Youth Climate Summit schedule offers a wide range of activities encouraging all schools across the UK to get involved.

The week will close on Friday 13^th November when young people will summarise and present the pledges made during the week to an expert panel. The pledges will form part of a rallying call for all UK schools to sign up to be Carbon Zero by 2030 through the Let’s Go Zero campaign run by Ashden, which builds on calls to government.

Sonja Graham Co-CEO at Global Action Plan says “The Youth Climate Summit is not just for the school Eco Club - it is for every young person and teacher in the UK. We know school students are worried about the future, this a chance for classes to come together to talk about what they love about our planet and how they can act on shared concerns. We cannot all be Greta - but we do all have a role to play and that role is important.“

Sarah Hannafin, Senior Policy Adviser at the National Association of Headteachers (NAHT) says: “This virtual summit is an exciting opportunity for schools to access a wide range of themed activities for both pupils and staff. And schools don’t need to be green champions already - the Youth Climate Summit is a great place to start, as well as build on, your schools’ approach to teaching about, and taking action, on environmental issues.” 

Emma Powell, Assistant Principal, Darlinghurst Academy (primary), Leigh-on-Sea, Essex “We support the Summit because climate change is the biggest issue we have to face as a country and as a planet.  It's important we educate our children, parents and staff so they can prepare and do all we can to prevent this catastrophe.”

Harriet Lamb, Chief Executive of Ashden says “The Youth Climate Summit is a great chance for schools across the country to show their commitment to climate action. Ashden is proud to launch the Let’s Go Zero campaign at the Summit, enabling schools to declare their aim to become zero carbon by 2030, and call for more support from government to reach this goal.”

Matt Larsen-Daw, Education Manager at WWF-UK says “It’s great to see so many different organisations coming together for the Youth Climate Summit with the shared goal of helping schools play a part in shaping a sustainable future. Schools have a pivotal role in communities and their actions can send ripples of positive change across society, and - through the values and skills they nurture in their students - into the future.”

Schools can book sessions now at: https://www.transform-our-world.org/youth-climate-summit-2020/whats-on

Notes to editors:

• The Youth Climate Summit is an engaging, accessible week of climate action and discovery for schools, with events hosted online throughout the week 9-13th November. It is coordinated by Global Action Plan and hosted on the Transform Our World online teacher hub at youthclimatesummit2020.org. 
• Schools can add themselves to the climate map at transform-our-world.org/get-involved
• Schools can book sessions at: transform-our-world.org/youth-climate-summit-2020/whats-on
• Global Action Plan is a charity that helps people live more sustainable lives by connecting what is good for us and good for the planet and has years of experience running environmental programmes for schools. Global Action Plan coordinates Transform Our World, supported by the #iwill campaign. 
• The Transform Our World online teacher hub was launched with support from the #iwill Fund to help achieve the #iwill campaign’s goal of making youth social action the norm for as many young people as possible. It empowers young people to tackle the root causes of the climate breakdown and biodiversity loss through social action. 
• #iwill campaign is a collective effort bringing together over 1000 partners from across the public, voluntary, education and business sectors to make meaningful social action part of life for 10- to 20 year olds in the UK, wherever they live and whatever their background. 
•  #iwillFund supports Transform Our World. The #iwill Fund is made possible thanks to £50 million joint investment from The National Lottery Community Fund and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to support young people to access high quality social action opportunities. The #iwill Fund brings together a group of organisations who all contribute funding to embed meaningful social action into the lives of young people.
• The Let’s Go Zero campaign is organised by Ashden, a climate charity working with low carbon pioneers around the world, including long-standing work with schools in the UK to help them lower their energy use and cut carbon emissions.
• Press enquiries, please contact Rachel Malham, Marketing Communications Manager at Global Action Plan on [email protected] / 07834 494777.

Download the press release here