Scaling Up to reach Net Zero Conference

Today, I had the pleasure and privilege of being a panel speaker at the Scaling Up to reach Net Zero conference, organised by the North West Net Zero Hub & Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

There were four panel sessions during the day: Climate Urgency; Scaling Up; Finance; and Leadership. I sat on the Scaling Up panel.

I spoke about the lack of climate education in the UK curriculum, and the importance of teaching these topics to all ages. Many people don't know the reality and the dangers of climate change, and why it is essential that we do everything we can as individuals to contribute to the Net Zero targets. From my point of view, climate education is just as, if not more, important than the content on the PSHE curriculum.

For many people, information around this topic is inaccessible due to the amount of jargon, and in many cases the formats of the information that are available. Policies are accessible online, but many don't know where to start when reading a policy document (young people especially), or might find it difficult to understand information in a black and white format. The use of infographics, videos, and interactive websites can aid in the distribution of this information, and this should be taken into account by those publishing said information.

The promotion of green jobs and green career paths to school and college leavers is also something that must be introduced into the education system. From my own experience of careers advice at the end of Year 11, green jobs weren't mentioned once. It's important that young people are educated on these opportunities that will play a vital role in shaping the future of the world, but also that the term "green jobs" isn't necessarily limited to sectors such as engineering. The truth is that green jobs can exist in almost every sector: any job that plays a role in contributing to the Net Zero targets and/or fighting climate change is considered a green job.

The North West Net Zero Youth Commission also delivered a report from their youth conference last weekend, and following this had a discussion with Mayors Steve Rotheram and Andy Burnham. This paved the way for some interesting discussions after the Mayors & Youth Keynote.

It was a very meaningful day, packed full of interesting discussions. Many thanks to the event organisers for inviting me to speak.

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