The 16 pupils participated in the 1.5 Max Global Schools Climate Summit alongside pupils from seven other Scottish schools as well as young people from Mozambique, Malawi and Nepal ahead of the October holidays.
The Turriff pupils were asked to take a 'problem statement' along to the summit to discuss with young people from across the globe. They identified that Aberdeenshire's farming economy will be affected by increasingly disrupted rain and snowfall, and rising temperatures, and had begun to investigate how this may impact their local community in the long run.
They worked collaboratively on creating practical solutions to the problems facing their community as well as those on the other side of the planet. The idea is that young people are then empowered with realistic and achievable steps they can make towards tackling climate change themselves.
They each made a personal pledge as to how they, their families and their schools can contribute to reducing the impacts of climate change.
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The Turriff pupils decided to create a 'product', in the form of a boardgame, they could use to educate local people. They are also planning to create more green spaces around their school and improve the ones they have already in order to increase habitat for insects. They will also be writing to their local MP about how public transport could be improved and hope to inspire the local community on the importance of planting pollinators and encourage planting of more bee-friendly plants.
Biology teacher Rowan Cannell who led the pupils in this important project commented: "I am so proud of the pupils and what they achieved during this event. They acted with maturity and showed real compassion when faced with how climate change is already affecting so many communities around the world. A common theme in the pupils' reflections on the event was that they felt inspired to make a difference – we hope to build on that inspiration with our sustainability group to affect some real change in our community."
S5 student Hannah White, reflected on the experience with a real sense of the impact hearing from young people in other parts of the world has had on her. She said: "I have learned about how different countries are suffering as a result to the rising temperatures and sea levels while being inspired by how many communities have adapted to save their homes. The children of Palau have come together to form a pledge all tourists must sign to preserve their small island home. It's shocking how the countries who have contributed least to the rising temperatures are facing the most extreme consequences, with the ocean threatening to devour some, if not all, low-lying areas as water level rise."
The Schools' Climate Summit was organised by Sustainability Partnerships in partnership with Education Scotland and their aim is to inspire schools, teachers and pupils across participating regions to develop their own versions of the summit program in response to COP26 and the ongoing climate and ecological emergency.
