Two pupils from Year 12 at Rye St Antony School in Oxford have taken part in a national summit designed to explore ways engineers can help achieve net zero emissions.
The Tomorrow’s Engineers Week Schools COP Summit saw over 50 pupils from across the UK come together to explore how engineers are at the heart of addressing the climate crisis.
Students heard from inspirational engineers at the forefront of reducing the effects of climate change and then held discussions hosted by broadcaster Fayon Dixon and former BBC presenter Susan Bookbinder that mirrored those being held at the COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow.
Read again: Residents left waiting two weeks for post
All attendees were given the opportunity to focus on areas of interest, such as protecting wildlife from the worst effects of climate change or motivating more young people to be more eco-conscious. They brainstormed ideas for how engineering can reduce the carbon footprint of the UK and how they can make an impact on reaching net zero themselves.
The Schools COP Summit is part of Tomorrow’s Engineers Week, which highlights to young people that engineering is a creative, problem solving, exciting career that improves the world around us and is playing an active part in achieving net zero.
Ms Manjula Pillay-Sayers, head of Science at Rye St Antony School, said: “Our school is extremely proud of our representatives, Sasha Sausman and Olive Watt.
“The two future engineers and problem solvers shared inclusive and innovative ideas with the rest of the team at the Schools COP Summit about how their future careers could impact healing our planet.
Read more: Cause of house fire believed to be suspicious
“They explored changes to farming methods, advances in Material Science to engineer materials with lower carbon footprints, calling on the government to make changes to reform their funding priorities and change how we teach STEM in schools. They shared ideas about how different industries could work together towards net zero especially focussing on the intersections between Art, Politics and STEM subjects. This opportunity and platform for young minds to share their ideas really inspired me. I learnt that we ‘must not wait for the future to act’ let us all act now.”
Dr Hilary Leevers, chief executive of Engineering UK, which organises Tomorrow’s Engineers Week said: “We really appreciated students from Rye St Antony School sharing their thoughts with us at the Schools COP Summit as part of Tomorrow’s Engineers Week. Achieving net zero is so important for the next generation and hearing directly from young people about how they see engineering behind the solutions was heartening.”
Read again: Theatres and pubs welcome Rishi's budget lifeline
The Schools COP Summit will be available online as part of Tomorrow’s Engineers Week on Monday, November 8.
Visit teweek.org.uk.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here