Eco-Seminars organized by The Voices of Future Generations (VoFG) Initiative and the Cambridge Schools Eco-Council.

The Voices of Future Generations (VoFG) Initiative and the Cambridge Schools Eco-Council organised two free 60 minutes Online Eco-Seminars to raise awareness of key sustainability challenges and solutions. Children, students, families, and public members registered for free over Eventbrite and participated online over Zoom. Each Online Eco-Seminar included student and expert speakers.

The first eco-seminar focused on Emerging Environmental Technologies: Eco-technology and Clean Energy to Protect the Environment it took place on Monday 19 July 2021. The second eco-seminar focused on Nature-Based Solutions: Mangroves & Wetlands and took place on Monday 26 July 2021.

Both eco-seminars were hosted by the Cambridge Schools Eco-Council and the Voices of Future Generations Children's Rights Initiative.

Each Online Eco-Seminar focuses on two key sustainable development goals, such as Clean Energy (SDG9), Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG11), Climate Change (SDG13) or Life on Land (SDG15). Each Online Eco-Seminar includes student and expert speakers.

Eco-Seminar 1: Emerging Environmental Technologies: Eco-technology and Clean Energy to Protect the Environment - 9-10 AM BST ON Monday 19 July 2021

Focus: How eco-technology contributes to the SDGs to promote green growth and improve sustainability?

Bonus: Launch of the UNESCO Voices of Future Generations (VoFG) book:

Stanley and EPIC by Jasper Chin Moody (Oceania)

Chairs:

Nico Roman, Cambridge Schools Eco-Council Co-Chair, Voices of Future Generations Child Ambassador, Kings College School Eco-Society Co-leader.

Freya Tikva, Gold Award Laureate, UNESCO Voices of Future Generations (VoFG) Children's Rights Initiative for Europe and Child Author of The Girl Who Changed Everything, Cambridge Schools Eco-Council Deputy Chair and Co-Chair of Eco-Activities Committee.

Speakers:

Dan Adams, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Amber Electric

Sanjiv Fernando, Research Associate in RESOLVE’s Washington, D.C., office, where he develops and implements new technologies for wildlife protection, manages RESOLVE’s innovative conservation projects, applies data and spatial analysis to global conservation issues, and provides fundraising support for the Biodiversity and Wildlife Solutions program.

Jona David, founding Eco-Councillor of the Cambridge Schools Eco-Council, award-winning UNESCO Voices of Future Generations (VoFG) Children's Rights Initiative Alumni and Child Author of The Cosmic Climate Invention and other books, and

Jasper Chin Moody, Gold Award Laureate, UNESCO Voices of Future Generations (VoFG) Children's Rights Initiative for Oceania and Child Author of Stanley and EPIC.

If you were unable to be present in person during the event, you can access the recording here:

ECO-SEMINAR 2: NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS: MANGROVES & WETLANDS - 4-5 PM BST ON MONDAY 26 JULY 2021

Focus: What are nature-based solutions to climate change? How can we protect mangroves and wetlands?

Bonus: Launch of the UNESCO Voices of Future Generations (VoFG) books:

The Children Who Saved the Mangroves by Rehema Kibugi (Africa)

Journey for Tomorrow by Andrea Wilson (North America)

Chairs:

Nico Roman, Cambridge Schools Eco-Council Co-Chair, Voices of Future Generations Child Ambassador, Kings College School Eco-Society Co-leader.

Junayd Islam, Cambridge Schools Eco-Council former Co-Chair, key organizer of student climate strikes and city council live-streamed Eco-Council meetings.

Speakers:
Lilian Mwihaki, Marine Ecologist, PhD candidate at Edinburgh Napear University her research focuses on understanding carbon capture in Mangrove ecosystems.

Darlene Coyle, Policy Project Coordinator, Canadian Youth Biodiversity Network (CYBN), Associate Fellow, Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL).

Thomas Langford, Eco-Councillor in the Cambridge Schools Eco-Council, and winner of the Rotary Young Environmentalist Award for East Anglia.

Rehema Kibugi, Gold Award Laureate, UNESCO Voices of Future Generations (VoFG) Children's Rights Initiative for Africa and Child Author of The Children Who Saved the Mangroves.

Andrea Wilson, Gold Award Laureate, UNESCO Voices of Future Generations (VoFG) Children's Rights Initiative for North America and Child Author of Journey for Tomorrow, blog post author on the Sustainable Development Goals and Child Rights.

If you were unable to be present in person during the event, you can access the recording here:

For a flavour of other activities of the Cambridge Schools Eco-Council, please see https://www.cambschoolsecocouncil.uk

To know more about the Voices of Future Generations Initiative, please see https://www.vofg.org/

Please note: Students participate with permission under the supervision of parents/guardians from their homes.

Free online Eco-Seminars organized by the Cambridge Schools Eco-Council

About the Event

Cambridge Schools Eco-Council is organised two free 60 minutes Online Eco-Seminars to raise awareness of key sustainability challenges and solutions. Children, students, families and members of the public registered for free over Eventbrite and participated online over Zoom. Each Online Eco-Seminar included student and expert speakers.

Eco-Seminar 1: Sustainable water management, flood defenses and protecting our beautiful streams and rivers - Wednesday 17 February 2021

Focus: How can we better protect and sustainably manage our beautiful freshwater resources, preventing floods and depletion, and saving our streams and rivers?

Speakers:

Ecocouncil speaker: Junayd Islam (Cambridge Schools Eco-Council former Co-Chair, key organizer of student climate strikes and city council livestreamed Eco-Council meetings).
Experts: Ian Halls (Leader, Cambridge Friends of the Earth) and Fabiana Piccoli Araújo Santos (LLM Candidate at the University of Cambridge and co-founder of Itacaré Water Caring Project Brazil)

Eco-Seminar 2: Promoting Sustainable Lifestyles through Preventing Plastic Waste - Wednesday, 24 February 2021

Focus: How can we better promote and practice more sustainable lifestyles at home and through our shopping habits, even during the lockdown, preventing plastic waste and protecting our fragile rivers, oceans and ecology?

Chairs: Nico Roman (Cambridge Schools Eco-Council Co-Chair, Voices of Future Generations Child Ambassador, Kings College School Eco-Society Co-leader) and Paloma Bargh (Cambridge Schools Eco-Council Deputy Chair and Eco-Activities Committee Co-Chair, Saint Johns College School Eco-Society Co-leader)

Speakers:

Child author speaker: Freya Tikva (Gold Award Laureate, Voices of Future Generations (VoFG) Children's Rights Initiative Child Author for Europe, Cambridge Schools Eco-Council Deputy Chair and Co-Chair of Eco-Activities Committee.
Ecocouncil speaker: Luana Fernandes Seixas (Cambridge Schools Eco-Council Communications Officer, Student Leader of Long Road Sixth Form Eco-Council, key organizer of student climate strikes and eco-seminars).
Experts: Emma Thomas (Co-founder and Director, Full Circle Zero Waste Retail, Ecologist) and Matthew Clemens (Manager, Cambridge Waitrose Grocery Store) tbc.

Please note: Students and children participated with permission and under the supervision of parents/guardians from their homes.

PAST ONLINE ECO-SEMINARS

In partnership with Cambridge Schools Eco-Council we organised free 60 minute Online Eco-Seminars to raise awareness of key sustainability challenges and solutions, while schools have been forced online in many countries. Children, students, families and members of the public free over Zoom from April 21 to June.

Each Online Eco-Seminar focused on a key sustainable development goal, such as Climate Action (SDG 13), Protecting and Restoring Life on Land (SDG 15) or Agriculture and Food Systems (SDG 2). Each Online Eco-Seminar included student Eco-Councillors and UN Voices of Future Generations child authors / ambassadors, together with world-class experts, provided a 25-minute introduction to a sustainability challenge, and discuss creative local and solutions.

We have recorded these eco-seminars (see below) in case you missed any of them or simply if you would like to watch them again.

Eco-Seminar 1: Global Climate Change, the Paris Agreement and Local Solutions - April 21, 2020

Expert: Professor Christina Voigt, Ph.D., LL.M-Env (University of Oslo international environmental law expert and professor, IUCN Climate Change Specialist Group Chair, IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law Member and UNFCCC Compliance Committee Member)

Child author speaker: Jona David, founding Eco-Councillor of the Cambridge Schools Eco-Council, award-winning UNESCO VoFG Child Author of The Cosmic Climate Invention and other books, and student at Winchester College, UK

Eco-council speaker: Virginia Denmead, Cambridge Schools Eco-Councillor, Deputy Chair and Secretary, leader of St Bedes Eco-Society and student at St Bedes School, UK.

Eco-Seminar 2: Agriculture, Food Systems and Climate Resilience - May 5, 2020

Child Author speaker: Rehema Kibugi (UN Voices of Future Generations Children's Initiative Child Author, Kenya)

Eco-Council speaker: Magnus Bramwell (Cambridge School's Eco-Council Councillor and Secretary UK)

Expert: Advocate Ayman Cherkaoui (International Jurist in Climate Change Law, Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact in Morocco, Lead Counsel for Climate Change at the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law)

Expert: Dr. Amy Munro-Faure (Coordinator at the Living Lab for Sustainability at the University of Cambridge)

Eco-Seminar 3: Climate Change, Energy Policy and Sustainable Communities - May 19, 2020

Child author speaker: Jasper Chin-Moody (UN Voices of Future Generations Children's Initiative Child Author, Australia)

Eco-Council speaker: Harry Auld (Cambridge School's Eco-Council Councillor and Treasurer, UK).

Expert: Professor Laura Diaz Anadon (University of Cambridge Climate Change Policy Professor, University of Cambridge Peterhouse Bye-Fellow, C-EENG Fellow, Energy Policy Research Group Associate Researcher, Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs Research Associate, 6th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Lead Author).

Expert: MS Helene Kotter (Architect, Owner of Architecture Practice, Member of the Voice's of Future Generations Children's Book Series Leadership Council). In partnership with the Cambridge Schools Eco-Council

Eco-Seminar 4: Nature, Biodiversity and Sustainable Landscapes - June 2, 2020

Child author speaker: Adelyn Newman-Ting (Voices of Future Generations Children’s Initiative Child Author).

Eco-Council speaker: Nico Roman (Cambridge School's Eco-Council Co-Chair) and Freya Lundskær-Nielsen (Eco-Council Deputy Chair).

Experts: Ms. Hawa Sydique (Research and Communications Manager at the University of Cambridge Conservation Research Institute).

Tara Atleo (Environmental economics researcher and indigenous sustainable development professional from the Ahousaht First Nation in BC, Canada, PhD student University of Waterloo, Laureate Canada 150 Senate Medal).

Iain Webb (Cambridge City Greenways Project Officer).

Eco-Seminar 5: Consumerism and Waste - June 16, 2020

Child author speaker: Andrea Wilson (Gold Award Laureate, Voices of Future Generations (VoFG) Children's Rights Initiative, Child Author for North America of Sarah's Journey for Tomorrow, blog post author on the Sustainable Development Goals and Child Rights).

Eco-council speaker: Luana Fernandes (Cambridge Schools Eco-Council Communications Officer, Student of Parkside School, key organiser of student climate strikes and eco-seminars).

Expert: Dr. Markus Gehring (JSD, Dr iur, MA, LLM, Law and Land Economy Lecturer; Jean Monet Chair of European Law and Sustainable Development; Centre for International Sustainable Development Law Lead Counsel for Trade, Investment & Financial Law; Hughes Hall Law Director of Studies at the University of Cambridge).

Expert: Prof. Damilola S. Olawuyi, Professor of Energy and Environmental Law

Please note: Students participated with permission and under supervision of parents/guardians, from their homes.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CLICK HERE

For a flavour of other local activities by the Cambridge Schools Eco-Council, please see Green waste composter design challenge for Cambridge school strikers

Watch our Eco-seminars & Book Launches | July 2021