YOUNG people will be given their chance to speak on the climate breakdown challenges facing the world this weekend.

Oxford City Council will be holding its first Youth Climate Summit on Saturday, November 28.

The meeting will allow Oxford’s young people to learn more about climate breakdown and its impacts on the Global South, explore the topic of lobbying for change and inform the council’s plans on climate action.

One of the young campaigners for more action on climate change has said it is 'essential that young people are part of the conversation' and said the summit was 'an important part of a just and effective response to the climate emergency'.

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The assembly will bring together young people from the city to discuss the issue of the global climate emergency and how it can be tackled locally in Oxford.

They will hear perspectives from young people in the Global South, a world-leading Oxford scientist and scientific adviser to the council, and local and national UK politicians.

The summit is an online event for young people (age 19 and under), who live or study in Oxford, to be a part of the discussion about how the city tackles the global climate emergency at a local level.

The event will take place from 10am to noon and is to be broadcast on the council’s YouTube page.

Those who are interested in submitting a question can do this on the Council’s Eventbrite site.

The city council committed to hosting a summit in its response to Oxford’s Citizens’ Assembly’s final report.

The event will feature discussions lead by Linnet Drury, EJ Fawcett, and other climate campaigners with Oxford Youth Strike; Anneliese Dodds MP for Oxford East and Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer; Professor Nick Eyre Scientific Advisor to Oxford City Council; and Tom Hayes Oxford City Council's deputy leader.

The council has worked with its youth ambition team to make sure voices that too often go unheard in key debates are included as summit participants.

Tom Hayes, who is also the council's cabinet member for green transport and zero carbon Oxford said: “Young people today have contributed the least to climate breakdown.

"Nationally, they have fewer rights and opportunities to participate in the decision-making that affects them.

"However, residents’ children and grandchildren will face the worst effects of climate breakdown throughout their lifetimes."

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EJ Fawcett, of the UK Student Climate Network Oxford, said: “Oxford is an affluent place with some of the world’s leading climate scientists - it is only right that the city take responsibility for action on climate breakdown.

"It is essential that young people are part of the conversation and learn the skills we need to push for change.

"The Oxford Youth Climate Summit will be an important part of a just and effective response to the climate emergency.”

Professor Nick Eyre, Scientific Advisor to Oxford City Council and Oxford University Professor of Energy and Climate Policy, said:

“My generation has failed to act sufficiently quickly or decisively to address the climate crisis. The result is that we need radial action over the next decades to reduce energy use, invest in renewable energy and use our land sustainably.

"This generation of young people will have to pick up that challenge. They have the right to be heard now about how we do that.”