UNA Harpenden: MUN climate change conference

The conference was ably chaired by Dr Wendi Momen who is a member of UN Women – UK and has attended a UN climate change conference.

Initially, Peter Lilley MP and Dr Achim Doberman, Director of Rothamsted Research, spoke about the issues of climate change. The pupils from Roundwood Park and Sir John Lawes schools acted as representatives from 26 countries which had been chosen to represent the spectrum of opinion between rich and poor countries that will be represented at the UN climate change conference in Paris in December.

Having outlined the position of every country on climate change, the pupils adjourned in groups to discuss what resolutions they wish to propose and debate. The key topics dealt with were mitigation of carbon emissions and adaptation to climate change. In the final plenary session they debated and voted on the proposals. The results indicated that they found it very difficult to reach a unanimous agreement. In this they were probably an accurate representation of the Paris conference.  

The Town Mayor, Brian Ellis, commended the pupils and thanked all those attending (including teachers and UNA members) for making the MUN conference such a successful event.