Students from Luxembourg and beyond learn how to tackle climate change
- Eco News
More than 150 students from six schools in Luxembourg and Germany joined forces on Friday, 28 March, to learn about climate change and develop practical skills to take action.
Organised and hosted by St George’s International School, the Beyond COP21 Symposium gave young people the chance to work on local solutions to a global problem. Workshops focused on the circular economy, climate emotions, human rights and disaster relief. Students also attended an interactive exhibition showcasing 12 companies and organisations in Luxembourg and Global South that promote sustainability.
St George’s Sustainability Coordinator Anne-Marie McHugh said this was the second time the school had organised and hosted the event. The first was in 2023. “The Beyond COP21 Symposium aims to empower and equip students with 21st-century skills to deal with problems caused by climate change. In addition, it is an opportunity to build connections and give hope – hope that we can meet the need and ensure no one is left behind,” Ms McHugh said.
Dr Andrew Ferrone from the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development, presented an update from the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and reminded attendees of actions everyone can take to help deliver the UN Agenda 2030.
The Symposium was held alongside STEM and Sustainability Week at St George’s, which involved workshops and activities for students of all ages aimed at teaching them the skills needed to deal with the problems caused by climate change. Among them were a demonstration of a plastic recycling machine by Emweltberodung Letzebuerg and an exhibition and talk by Handicap International Luxembourg, which highlighted humanitarian situations around the world and the link between conflict and the climate crisis.
St George’s Principal Zeba Clarke said it was essential for young people to learn how they could take action against climate change and make a positive difference. “We believe that educating students about sustainability is essential in preparing them for a rapidly changing world,” she said. “By integrating sustainable practices into our curriculum and daily operations, we empower students to think critically about environmental challenges, promote a sense of global responsibility and inspire positive change, and we are proud to have been able to share this with other schools in Luxembourg and Germany.”
Those schools included ISL, European School 2, Lycée Vauban and Lycée Robert-Schuman in Luxembourg and Max Planck GCE and GCE Bayreuth in Germany.
The Beyond COP21 Symposium was conceived in 2016 in Dubai, UAE, as an event to get young people involved in interactive discussions around the climate negotiations in Paris. It was founded by Peter Milne, founder and director of Target4Green, an educational consultancy and training agency. The next symposium will be hosted by the Cairo American College in Egypt on 16 April 2025.
