Competition open September 9th, 2021 – Closing date January 9th, 2022.
“How would addressing inequality help to combat the climate crisis?”
We are in the midst of a global climate crisis. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 6th report, released in August 2021, states that “climate change is already affecting every inhabited region across the globe, with human influence contributing to many observed changes in weather and climate extremes.”
After world leaders met on 1-12th November 2021 at the COP 26 Climate Summit to set out targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and cap global temperature rise to 1.5oC, we are inviting students worldwide to consider how addressing inequality might play a role in combatting the climate crisis.
Inequality comes in many forms…
• Least Developed Countries (LDC’s) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) face the brunt of climate change impacts, though more developed countries produce most of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions
• Only 53% of the world’s children complete secondary education
• Over 9% of the global population currently live in extreme poverty
• Women have only 23.7% representation in national parliaments
• The proportion of global refugees has more than doubled since 2010
• Indigenous peoples around the world continue to face overwhelming marginalization, discrimination and exclusion
• The list goes on…
How might tackling inequality help to resolve the climate crisis?
We want to hear students’ own views on how addressing issues of economic, gender, race and other forms of inequality might help to combat this crisis.
Students are invited to approach the topic however they wish. They are strongly encouraged to explore and consider different types of inequality and include their own personal views, perspectives and experiences to help bring their thoughts and visions alive.
Each student is invited to submit one essay in English, entitled: “How would addressing inequality help to combat the climate crisis?”
The essay length varies by age as follows:
Primary students (ages 7-11): 400 words
Secondary and College students (ages 12-18): 600 words
The judges are looking for originality and creativity in all formats – and the potential to contribute to constructive national or international debate. Unique and well-argued perspectives score highly.
Click here for details on how to register and submit your essay entries.
Responses