After the success of previous years, Waverley Borough Council once again hosted climate action workshops this week at The Burys, Godalming run by local organisation What Next?
Students from Broadwater School and Godalming 6th Form College respectively, took part in the sessions which were run by What Next?, a local organisation whose aim is to raise awareness of the climate and ecological emergency and to encourage residents to live more sustainably, consume responsibly and reduce their carbon footprint.
Around 50 students across the two days, gathered to take part in a Climate Action Simulation Activity game which explored what actions can be taken to limit global warming to below 2C and as close to 1.5C as possible.
Councillor Steve Williams, Waverley Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability, said:
"It was extremely satisfying to see how students engaged with the activity in previous years and the interest that they had in climate change was apparent, so we are delighted to give more people a chance to get involved. Climate change is, obviously, a main priority for us as a council, given our commitment to becoming net zero by 2030. It is vitally important that young people are given the opportunity to bring their ideas to the table as they are the ones that it will affect most in the future. I would like to extend my thanks to What Next? for, once again, running these interesting, informative and interactive sessions which we are so happy to host here at The Burys.”
Dr David Faraday, Chair of Trustees, What Next? added:
"This is a great opportunity for What Next? to work with young people whose whole lives will be affected by the impacts of climate change. Our workshops give students a chance to experience the complexity of climate action negotiations and agree a possible strategy for limiting local warming to the Paris Agreement target of less than 2 DegC and as close to 1.5 DegC as possible. Whilst discovering that there are many possible scenarios for delivering success, it is also clear that action needs to be taken in a wide range of policy areas by individuals, businesses, industry and governments. If we have the ambition, and we can act quickly and decisively, a sustainable future is possible."
For further information on What Next? and their programmes, workshops and events, which are free to residents, visit the What Next? website.
You can find out further information on Waverley Borough Council's by visiting its Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan webpage.