Veronica Nguyen

Think.Act.Green, University of Melbourne SIFE’s environmental project, recently held their inaugural Environmental Conference at Ivanhoe Grammar School. Over a hundred students from Victoria’s leading secondary schools came together at the Conference to discuss their role in combating climate change and potential solutions to one of the greatest challenges of this era.  

The event was opened by Lisa Benn, from Sustainability Victoria, and Emily Lawrence of the Australian Youth Climate Change Coalition (AYCCC) provided the keynote speech. Her speech motivated students to create their own change, both at home and in the wider community.  “If you’re willing to do it, you can do it. You’ve just got to say hey, I’m going to start today,” says a student from Bialik College. Her inspiring stories segued into the Conference’s mini Copenhagen, or ‘Ivanhagen’, energy debate. Each group of students was allocated a country or organisation, such as OPEC, and engaged in a heated debate about climate change that demonstrated to students the complexities and differing interests in the global climate change debate.  

Workshops in secondary schools are now underway, and our annual competition will be held in October.

Many thanks for Shell’s support, you made this conference possible.