NEW UK KIDS’ THINK TANK TO START A GREEN REVOLUTION
- Three in four young people think adults aren’t doing enough to protect the environment and call on them to do more
- The UK’s children say “listen to us for a greener future”
A nationwide search begins today for 20 green and keen children to become members of the UK’s first ever environmental think tank for 7 to 14 year olds. The hunt begins as new research shows that our children believe they can make a difference to the green cause if they are listened to.
The think tank, called ‘Our Planet, Our Say’ and part of British Gas’s Generation Green schools programme, will give the younger generation a voice on climate change – a problem they will have to face in the future as adults.
The need for the think tank was made clear in research undertaken for the Generation Green programme. Published for the first time today, the research shows children want their voices heard on climate change, and are frustrated at being sidelined. The poll shows three quarters (74%) of UK children think adults are not doing enough to protect the environment, while a quarter (26%) feel frustrated that their green concerns fall on deaf ears. The data also shows how motivated the younger generation is, with half (49%) believing they can make a difference to the cause.
Schoolchildren aged between 7 and 14 can nominate themselves, or be nominated by friends, parents, teachers or any adult at www.generationgreen.co.uk from today. To enter, children will need to write just 100 words explaining why they deserve to be part of ‘Our Planet, Our Say’ and upload this via the website.
Gearoid Lane, Managing Director of British Gas New Energy, said: “We are calling for children, parents, grandparents and teachers to help us find the 20 most exciting young green minds. The UK’s children are keen to voice their concerns and share their ideas, and we must listen. The next generation will have to live with the worst impacts of climate change, and so far they’ve had little say in the environmental debate.”
The members of ‘Our Planet, Our Say’ will develop their own three-point plan to tackle major environmental challenges facing the UK. They will have support from a range of experts, including Julia Hailes, author of The New Green Consumer Guide. At the end of the year the team will present its manifesto to the Government and other influential groups on behalf of the nation’s school pupils.
 As part of the programme, the 9,000 schools already signed up to Generation Green will also be encouraged to set up their own individual mini-think tanks and feed their thoughts into ‘Our Planet, Our Say’. Today’s young people think this grassroots action is key, with a quarter (26%) thinking their communities would be more likely to take action if kids had a chance to make their case for change.
Gearoid Lane said: “Our ambition is for ‘Our Planet, Our Say’ to start a grassroots movement. We want to see schoolchildren across the country set up their own think tanks and create their own plans for change. The Generation Green website will give schools and children the resources, guidance and access to experts they need to do just that.”
Green expert Julia Hailes said: “I'm very excited to be involved in ‘Our Planet, Our Say’. Environmental issues can be complex, but that doesn't mean there aren't solutions. I'm looking forward to hearing what innovative ideas our group of young people come up with – and how they can inspire others along the way."
The 20 members of ‘Our Planet, Our Say’ will be chosen by an expert judging panel. The think tank members will meet during the coming year in three different locations, and will get the chance to ask real environmental experts, like Julia Hailes, about the green issues facing the country. The nation’s schoolchildren will have the chance to go online and give the final three point plan their vote of confidence before it is presented to leading policymakers.
To nominate green-minded children for ‘Our Planet, Our Say’, go to: www.generationgreen.co.uk. Entry closes at midnight on Sunday 24th May 2009.
The research of 1,458 school children aged 7-14 was conducted online by Dubit Research from Monday 5 January to Wednesday 21 January 2009
The ‘Our Planet, Our Say’ judging panel includes: Julia Hailes, author The Green Consumer Guide; Lawrence McGinty, Emmy Award winning Science Reporter, ITV News; Ann Finlayson, Education Commissioner, Sustainable Development Commission; Virginia Graham, Chair of Board of Trustees, Global Action Plan; Gearoid Lane, Managing Director, British Gas New Energy.
About Generation Green: Generation Green is British Gas’s nationwide schools programme designed to empower teachers, schools and their local communities to tackle climate change through greener behaviour. It has already attracted over 9,000 schools to sign up and get involved since its launch in April 2008. The programme rewards schools for green actions with ‘Green Leaves’ which are collected by schools and redeemed against useful prizes ranging from solar water heating kits and energy efficient light bulbs to green energy trackers. Consumers can participate in Generation Green by donating the leaves they collect to a school of their choice, and they can receive Leaves simply by switching to paperless British Gas billing or completing an energy saver’s report online. More information about Generation Green can be found online at www.generationgreen.co.uk
About British Gas: British Gas, the biggest energy supplier in the country and part of the Centrica group of companies, has the lowest carbon intensity of any of the major UK energy suppliers in terms of tonnes of CO2 emitted per megawatt hour of electricity supplied to customers. It was cited as Britain's greenest energy supplier in a survey by WWF (UK Power Giants: Generating Climate Change 2007, 28 September 2007). Centrica is one of the biggest investors in renewable power generation, principally offshore wind. Its Lynn and Inner Dowsing development, currently being constructed off the Lincolnshire coast, will be the UK's largest offshore wind development when completed
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