Official Award 2018
Official award of the project „student climate summit“ by the EnergyAgency.NRW, operative service provider of the Ministry of Economic Affairs of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Press photo: Participants at the award ceremony on 2 July 2018
Dr. Ute Röder, Kreis Lippe, Dirk Stelter, Wittekind Gymnasium Lübbecke, Olrik Meyer, Klimapakt Kreis Lippe, Markus, Tenkhoff, GetPeople, Dr. Holger Schmitte, Gesamtschule Aspe Bad Salzuflen, Astrid Butt, Ostwestfalen Lippe Wirtschaft und Energie, Dr. Heinrich Dornbusch, KlimaExpo.NRW
Youth Climate Summit: Young people talk climate protection
Discuss topics, share knowledge and meet like-minded people: young people can do this on a regular basis at the Youth Climate Summit in Eastern Westphalia. At this event, school pupils in the latter half of secondary education gain insights into climate research, impacts of climate change – in their own region also – as well as potential solutions to climate protection and adaption to the effects of climate change. Five Youth Climate Summits have already taken place in Lage, Bad Oeynhausen, Bielefeld and Paderborn since the beginning of 2017.
There is huge interest in climate protection, so all Youth Climate Summits were not held in school assembly halls, but in booked-out cinema auditoriums. The event in Paderborn even moved into the city theatre for capacity reasons. The Youth Climate Summits are geared towards an audience of pupils in the latter half of secondary education – a target group which is relatively difficult to reach for the topic of climate protection. Short talks, question and answer sessions, experiments, skype conferences and video clips – the various small items on the menu make for a diverse programme. Thus, the participants’ questions, fears and willingness to act in relation to climate protection can be better addressed and classified.
Target group-oriented approach
The speakers come from various climate protection organisations – ranging from university professors to on-site climate protection managers to trainees who report on commitment to climate protection in their companies. Highlights of the past events were live links to the Alfred Wegener Institute’s Neumayer III research station in the Antarctic and to the COP23 in Bonn. Youth climate delegation representative Clara von Glasow reported directly on the developments at the United Nations Climate Change Conference.
The Youth Climate Summit moderators are on an equal footing with attendees: they too are school pupils. The up-and-coming speakers are trained and coached by Stefan Leiwen, a moderator at broadcaster WDR. Sustainable snacks and drinks are provided at breaks, inviting attendees to exchange ideas, and initiatives are presented. At some climate summits, the pupils also got the chance to take a lift in an e-car.
Each Youth Climate Summit ends with an appearance by Bielefeld rapper Montez and his climate protection rap “ Unter Wasser könn wir nicht atmen” (We can’t breathe under water). The Youth Climate Summit is present in social media also; under the hashtag #planet1st
More NRW locations in sight
Now, the Youth Climate Summit is to be brought beyond Eastern Westphalia into other regions of NRW. The event is organised by the GetPeople agency. It can be held wherever sponsors can be found. School pupils take part free of charge.
https://www.energieagentur.nrw/klimaexpo/karte/Schueler-Klimagipfel
Moderating Team
Student presenters Merle and Florian together with TV presenter Stefan Leiwen
Student panel discussion
Student moderators interview adults
Climate arena
With many different exhibitors and sustainable catering
„Under Water we cant breath“ by rapper Montez