What does rubbish have to do with the climate? : Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh
“Not only are mountains of waste bad for the environment and wildlife, but they’re also linked to increased carbon emissions. How? Well the more stuff we make, transport, and then throw away, the more emissions are wasted in the process. In fact, two thirds of the UK’s emissions come from the physical stuff we buy. We need to fundamentally rethink our throwaway culture.”
Each year, the climate crisis becomes ever more urgent. Young people will live through incredible changes in their lives – it is time they had their say on our future.
In November 2021, Glasgow hosts the UN COP-26 meeting. Communities across the UK are creating their plans to become sustainable, and engineering is at the heart of it.
The West of England has created a Climate Action Plan to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. Working together with regional councils like Bristol, South Gloucestershire, and Bath &NE Somerset, the aim is to become carbon neutral and climate-resilient by 2030.
This autumn, the Youth Engineering for Environmental Sustainability Summit offers students a space to discuss and explore how we can achieve the essential goals we have set ourselves.
The Summit will take place from 11 to 13 October, and each day will focus on a different pillar of the Bristol One City Climate Action plan.
What will the day look like?
Each day will kick off with a discussion to set the scene.
At noon, participants will receive 3 video postcards from 2030, offering solutions and exploring the barriers they might face to becoming sustainable.
Students will be invited to join the postcard-writers and other engineers to discuss those solutions throughout the afternoon.
Summaries of the conversations will be presented to our local political leaders and policymakers who will respond to the young people they represent each day.
Additional teaching and reading resources allow students to participate as much as they like. Students can participate either in lesson time or as independent study.
Who is the summit for?
Schools and colleges from across the West of England are invited to participate with Key Stage 5 students. We want to bring young people together from a variety of backgrounds in order to have their say on solutions to the Climate and Ecological Emergency. Students studying Geography, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Psychology, Sociology, Politics, Computer Science, Economics, and Engineering all have an important part to play.
They will be joined by a range of engineers and environmentalists from across the region to discuss how we might create a sustainable future for our communities. The young people’s discussions will be communicated to policymakers in the West of England and showcased to international audiences at COP-26.
Teachers should consider prioritising students who are currently studying STEM subjects who would benefit from an online peer-to-peer debating experience. We encourage schools to prioritise Pupil Premium students where possible.
‘Reducing our throwaway habits’ by Jasmine Tribe, City to Sea
‘Designing for reuse and recycle’ by Olivia Meyonette, Resource Futures
Followed by chat discussions
Action Plan
13:15-14:00
Mayor Marvin Rees
Bristol City Council
Facilitated by Roy Kareem
Black and Green Ambassador
Councillor Toby Savage
South Gloucestershire Council
Councillor Sarah Warren
Bath and North East Somerset Council
Facilitated by Bristol Natural History ConsortiumRegional action plans and answering questions from students
Green Jobs Discussion
3pm Mayor Dan Norris
West of England Combined Authority
Facilitated by Bristol Green Capital
Who is behind YEESS?
The DETI Inspire programme at UWE Bristol have partnered with I’m an Engineer, Get me out of here to host an online Sustainability & Engineering Summit. Using this platform the Summit will enable young people in the West of England region to connect with engineers from the Bristol and Bath area.
