Stockport school children debate ideas to tackle climate change

Students from schools across Stockport have once again debated how they can help combat the challenges of climate change in an annual event held at the Town Hall.

The Schools Climate Assemblies were held on March 13 for Primary Schools and on March 20 for High Schools and Colleges.

The events have been facilitated by the council’s dedicated Climate Action Team, with the debates held in the Council Chamber at Stockport Town Hall. This is the third annual Stockport Schools Climate Assembly, which sees young people setting the agenda for tackling climate change in Stockport.

Five shortlisted ideas, out of 130 submitted by students, were up for debate, including:

• Introducing a Clean Air Day across Stockport, promoting active travel and public transport use.
• Installation of planted ponds in public spaces to boost biodiversity and carbon capture.
• Moving school meals towards a more vegetarian diet.
• Supporting schools to set up swap shops, recycling bins and compost areas.
• An annual borough-wide litter picking day.

The events are run by young people, for young people, and were chaired by pupils from Mellor Primary School at the primary school debate, with young people from Stockport Youth Council taking the lead during the high school and college debate. Students from Stockport College provided media coverage for both debates.

The primary school children voted in favour of the following idea: “Support schools to set up swap shops, recycling bins and compost areas”. The high school and college’s debate backed “Enabling schools to move from meat-based to more vegetarian diets by creating collection of recipes and looking at local suppliers”.

All ideas submitted will be shared with Councillors at the Full Council meeting in July.

Cllr Mark Roberts (pictured with participating students), Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment, said:

“It’s so important that school children and college pupils are a part of what we do, that as a council we listen to them, and they feel supported to tackle the serious issue of climate change. It is, after all, they who will have to live with the consequences of climate change the longest in our society.

“I’m really looking forward to the young people bringing their ideas to full council in July and developing a response to their request.

“The ideas brought forward in the past two years, sustainable period products and community gardens, have been really well received and I am sure this year will be no different.”