Young people's climate
Youth Climate Festivals
At Kirklees Council, we are committed to achieving a clean, green, sustainable future for Kirklees, and we believe children and young people have a crucial role to play in achieving this vision. That's why we have involved them in our response to the climate emergency and held the Youth Climate Festivals in October 2022.
We believe that involving children and young people in our climate conversations is essential to creating a sustainable future for all. We appreciate their creative ideas and their ability to influence change, and we want to ensure that they feel heard and understood.
Eco - Schools
Kirklees wants all schools to be registered with Eco-Schools. We can provide support and guidance if your school is interested in becoming an Eco-School.
Climate Commission Youth Panel
We would also welcome all schools to participate in the Climate Commission's Youth Panel run by the Kirklees Climate Commissioner. They are the coordinator for the Eco-Schools programme for Batley High School. The commissioner encourages learners to engage in the school environment, as well as the local community and wider world. This is done through lessons and meetings with the Eco Committee and Youth Panel. They encourage colleagues and learners to support efforts to become more sustainable.
Climate Festival 2022
Our Young People's Climate Festival provided a platform for children and young people to express their views, concerns, and ideas on climate change. Events were held on Tuesday 11th October 2022 at Kirklees College, in Huddersfield and Thursday 13th October 2022 at the Al-Hikmah Centre in Batley, and were a great success. We received valuable insights and feedback from the participants. These will inform our long-term plans to address climate change in the Kirklees area. We listened to the outcomes identified by young people from the 2021 festival. These were recycling and reuse. Our festival theme was based on these.
The festival featured two workshops on recycling and reuse, delivered by the Kirklees Recycling Team and fair and funky.. Participants learned about the importance of recycling and how they can reduce waste in their daily lives. They also took part in two discussions about their current and future climate actions. These helped us understand how we can better support their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint.
Climate Festival 2021
Kirklees Council's first ever Climate Festival was held online on the 23rd and 24th March 2021. The event was held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 1,200 young people aged between 5 and 19 took part and provided feedback. The overall aim of the festival was to get children and young people talking and to listen to their ideas to prevent climate change. The Our Voice Team worked in partnership with The Children in Care Council and Care Leavers Forum. The two-day festival consisted of curated films and resources from local, regional, national, and international organisations, who help to reduced climate change and promote a more ecological and sustainable way of living. Key issues identified by children were:
- litter and recycling
- protecting trees and wildlife
- reducing pollution caused by cars and traffic
- protecting our oceans and forests.
Contact us
If you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Together, we can make Kirklees a safer, cleaner, and greener place for all.