Climate Kick Start

Last week marked a point in the calendar that in recent years has only garnered more and more attention from an international audience. COP27 gathers leaders from across the world in one space in a bid to tackle the issue of climate change, with a collective global effort.

This mission is not exclusive to our world leaders - within Central London, it was in equal part inspiring and motivating to watch the impact move beyond the walls of the summit; with change being driven by employers and students, alike.

On Tuesday 8th November, schools from across Central London gathered for an event hosted by the Central London Careers Hub and The Royal Institution for a day that highlighted the various avenues of employment our young people could endeavour upon in order to ensure their future choices help in delivering the goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2030.

The event itself opened with speeches and presentations from Amanda Smyth of Oxford University and Insiya Jafferjee, CEO of Shellworks, before wrapping up with an explosive presentation from Royal Institution school’s presenter, Gareth Baston. Students were then invited to explore a variety of hands-on exhibitions from a wide range of organisations, working across the green sector. From sustainable fashion companies to those working in wave energy generation, students encountered a plethora of employers that could provide viable options of employability pursuits.

The event rounded off with a panel discussion from industry leaders and trailblazers who gave a valuable insight into how they found themselves within the sector and gave words of wisdom to anyone considering embarking on a career within the field.

In addition to this the Mayor of London, in association with Bloomberg, awarded five London schools with a grant £10,000 each to pursue various projects that will help fight against negative climate impact, on a local level. These grants were awarded at the Bloomberg offices and presented by an array of television presenters and documentary makers who exuded passion for the cause. As for any schools who missed out on these opportunities, we have also collectively created a green skills toolkit – developed by ‘u-explore’. This toolkit allows teachers to bring this industry to life, within the setting of their classrooms and can be found on the ‘Start’ platform!

A special thanks goes to the event organisers Peter Gallivan (Royal Institution), Alexander Long (Central London Careers Hub) the invaluable support of Trisha Campbell (GLA) and to all of our exhibitors and presenters.