A Vital Time for Our Planet
The COP27 climate summit took place in Egypt in November, with leaders from around the world coming together to discuss a plan to address the climate emergency.
This year, a historic agreement was reached to create a fund dedicated to helping vulnerable countries cope with financial losses brought about by climate change. For a long time, there has been concern that not enough help has been given by wealthy countries (that contribute the most to pollution and emissions) to poorer countries who contribute less to the climate emergency but are more adversely affected by climate change and climate-related disasters.
However, the summit was criticised for the lack of progress that has been made in cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Is progress being made?
For nearly three decades, the United Nations has brought together almost every country from around the world to a global climate summit – a Conference of Parties (COP).
In November 2021, the UK hosted the 26th annual summit, COP26, in Glasgow, Scotland. Leading up to COP26, the UK worked with every nation to reach agreement on how to tackle climate change.
COP26 was an international summit that had a sense of urgency, and world leaders, tens of thousands of negotiators, government representatives, businesses and citizens arrived in Scotland for thirteen days of talks.
At each COP summit, every country must agree to all parts of the plan for it to be completed, and the resulting agreement of COP26 is known as the Glasgow Climate Pact. Countries that signed it are working to implement it – but many scientists and citizens felt that the Glasgow Climate Pact wasn’t ambitious enough.
What further action is needed?
Many felt that the pact failed to address the need for our planet to stay below 1.5C of warming. This minimum temperature is essential to ensure a habitable environment for humans and animals.
The pact was also criticised for not including the phasing out of coal and fossil fuels. Instead, the wording ‘phase down’ was used. Following this year’s COP27 summit, it’s clear that ‘phasing down’ has not had the impact needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Young people are taking the initiative
In October 2021, days before COP26, the 16th United Nations Climate Change Conference of Youth, COY16, took place and was one of the largest entirely youth-led global youth climate conferences in the world. The Global Youth Position Statement that was issued following COY16 represented the views of over 40,000 young people worldwide.
And while COP26 took place, Greta Thunberg and over 100,000 young people marched through Glasgow’s streets, calling for change.
How can you encourage youth involvement?
While COP26 significantly increased the public’s level of interest in the climate emergency, biodiversity loss, and other environmental issues, this year’s summit didn’t have the same sense of urgency.
Young people are demanding politicians act with more urgency to prevent a climate catastrophe. Many are joining local climate action groups to campaign for:
- Greater commitment to phasing out fossil fuels and moving towards renewable energy.
- More initiatives to preserve and restore natural habitats and wildlife.
- A faster shift to a more equal and nature focused economic system.
- A cap to global temperature rise, keeping it below 1.5C.
To assist, educate and inform about this vital subject, Boomerang has created student climate action planners. We’re working with ypte (Young Peoples Trust for the Environment) as our principal content partner, a leading UK charity set up to encourage understanding of the environment among young people.
Plan for a sustainable future
Our student planners contain a wealth of content designed to support teaching and learning. We work to stimulate student interest and help to navigate them through their school year. We also assist in the meeting of Ofsted judgement criteria. Our student diary content is reviewed and refreshed each year to ensure it remains relevant and engaging for students.
Click here to view:
If you’d like to know more about our secondary planner content for 2022/2023, please get in touch on 01252 368 328
Or visit our website, where you can explore the diary content in digital format at https://boomeranged.co.uk/portfolio/secondary-design-school-planners/
