Students invited to shape climate change policy

University and secondary school students working with Te Hōnonga a Iwi have the opportunity to get more involved in climate change action at a special mock Conference of the Parties (COP) event organised by the Youth Climate Collective.

Te Hōnonga a Iwi governance youth leader Matthew Wardle is part of the group organising the event, which will be held at Auckland University in July, and he wants to encourage any young people interested in environmental issues to get involved.

The day will start with a panel discussion featuring inspirational speakers and policy experts.

Then participants will be split into stakeholder groups to consider likely future climate change scenarios from the perspective of NGOs, health and education advocates, economic experts and indigenous groups.

They will recommend actions to mitigate the issues raised in the climate scenarios, then all the groups will come together to co-develop a plan of action and an overall position statement for the COP.

The result is the youth will be developing suggested policy in the areas of WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) Loss and Damage, Youth Governance and Māori and Pasifika perspectives.

It is hoped that a youth delegation from New Zealand will present this mahi at COP30 Belém, in Brazil in November. COP30 is the 30th United Nations Conference of the Parties, an annual global meeting where world leaders, scientists, non-governmental organisations, and civil society leaders gather to discuss actions to tackle climate change. It is considered one of the world's key events on the subject.

The Auckland event is a fantastic way to get youth involved with climate change action, Matthew says.

“It’s a good opportunity to engage with the issues we are facing and to meet other like-minded students interested in environmental issues. We are hoping to get at least 100 students.”

It will also help our next generation of climate change leaders develop the critical thinking skills required to deal with the issues New Zealand will face in the future.

The event is free to attend and catering will be provided. Register for a ticket online or if you have any questions, you can email Matthew on matthew@youthclimatecollective.com

Event details Date: Saturday, 26 July Location: University of Auckland, B201, 10 Symonds Street Time: Approx. 8:45am–4:30pm

Register here