Academic Scholars Masterclass: COP

Yesterday, Ashford School was thrilled to welcome Matt Toombs CBE, the Director of International Climate Change at the UK Government’s Department of Net Zero. He spent two years organising COP26, which was the international climate conference that the UK hosted in Glasgow, and last year was in the UN Presidency team overseeing these global climate negotiations.

Matt delivered a masterclass with our Academic Scholars, in which they formed subcommittees to find solutions to four thorny challenges in addressing the climate crisis:

1. How do we shift our energy systems to zero carbon?
2. How do we protect and restore our natural eco-systems?
3. Why don’t developed and developing countries move faster to zero carbon?
4. What can you do to make a difference – at school, at home, in your community?

We were also privileged to have Matt address the whole school in an assembly, covering the history of COP, the conference process, and the practical solutions that might be put in place to address the challenges we face, both in advanced economies and across the developing world.

Thank you so much to Matt for this fascinating, incisive showcase, which allowed our students to grapple directly with one of the most pressing issues of our age.