The Glasgow Academy is hosting a virtual summit on climate change for school pupils to coincide with the United Nations COP26 conference.
The independent school down the road from the climate change conference wants children around the world to join their panel of speakers for the five-day school summit that features a series of interactive workshops and lectures.
Antonio Hautle from the UN Global Compact, Chris Hines, co-founder of Surfers Against Sewage and founder of A Grain of Sand, and Dale Vince, founder of Ecotricity and owner of Forest Green Rovers, will speak at the summit that starts on 1 November.
It is our duty as teachers to support the next generation to understand the complexities and empower them to take positive action – Matthew Pearce, The Glasgow Academy
Around 200 students from Glasgow and the west of Scotland will join students at The Glasgow Academy for in-person sessions delivered by WildHearts Group. International companies will contribute to proceedings, including Zurich, Nestle, Barclays, Linklaters, Sopra Steria, Wesleyan and BNP Paribas, on how they plan to become more sustainable. Teachers can access a range of teaching resources and videos that discuss how students can pursue future careers in sustainability.
Matthew Pearce, rector of The Glasgow Academy, said: “The outcomes of the COP26 conference have implications for us all, but it is the younger generation that will be most impacted by the decisions we take today.
“Education is the most powerful tool we have in the fight against climate change, and it is our duty as teachers to support the next generation to understand the complexities and empower them to take positive action.
“The WildHearts’ Global Youth Summit is going to be one of the largest in the world to be held at the time of COP26, and to host it here from our school is a huge honour. By engaging pupils in meaningful discussion, we hope to encourage collaboration across the globe and inspire future leaders to make a difference.”
Read more: More than 30 independent schools aiming to reach zero carbon by 2030
