Climate Champions of the World
08 Sep 2009
As part of a global project, the British Council selected 20 young Europeans from France, Italy and Germany to go to a climate camp in July.
Attention: This article has been imported from our old website
While we've taken every precaution to ensure that the content of this article remains intact, it may contain errors.As part of a global project, the British Council selected 20 young Europeans from France, Italy and Germany to go to a climate camp in July.
Eva Ensanyar, from the south-eastern French town of Oyonnax, was one of the International Climate Champions who took part. Having formed a sustainable development club at her school, Eva is working on a campaign to influence and change habits in her local community.
The group has already carried out various initiatives ñ for example, a system to collect rainwater to flush the school toilets. Eva spoke to Positive News about the impacts of the recent camp and what they had achieved.
We are passionate young people, each of us involved in our own local climate change projects and keen to meet other young Europeans. During the camp, we alternated between discussion groups and intensive workshops, developing project planning, organisation and communication skills. Everything was designed to help make our initiatives more efficient, to get our message across.
There were a number of excursions to learn about some eco-friendly schemes, such as a working city farm in the heart of London. We also visited the Grantham Institute for Climate Change at Imperial College. They specialise in scientific research projects, supporting sustainable development and carbon reduction.
During the four days, we met some key people, including 23-year-old Melody Hossaini ñ an important figure for youth engagement in the UK. Melody provided the group with motivation and support.
We spoke to Sir Brian Hoskins, one of the UK’s leading climate scientists and Cathy Stephens, Director for Innovation at the British Council. We impressed on her the importance of the climate camp, our engagement in the project and the impact it has had on our motivation. As a result, we have created a network of young, like-minded Europeans, which we would like to develop worldwide.
Contact: www.britishcouncil.org/climatechange-climatechampions.htm
Climate Champions outside the Grantham Institute for Climate Change with Professor Sir Brian Hoskins. Photo: © Cameron Ramos
If you enjoyed this article, please consider making a donation
Donating helps us keep reporting on positive news
