On Wednesday, UNICEF UK handed in its Get Children Climate Ready campaign petition to the Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne, at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). UNICEF UK supporter Fran Bernhardt was there.
After campaigning at WOMAD festival over the summer, I was honoured to be asked to join my colleagues to hand the campaign letter over. I travelled the 100 miles to London (from Norwich) for the big day and, after a brief photo opportunity outside the DECC dressed as climate change-adapted Climate Kids and Robin Hoods, we were welcomed inside.
Fran and fellow UNICEF UK campaigner Harry present our Get Children Climate Ready photo petition map to Climate Secretary Chris Huhne. © UNICEF UK/2011/Carmen Valino
Before very long we were being shown into Chris Huhne’s office and after brief introductions, we got right down to showing him the fruits of our labour - a thick portfolio of 14000+ signatures complete with weird and wonderful photos of campaign supporters. He immediately put us at ease with his approachable manner and soon enough, my fellow campaigner Harry and I found ourselves relaxed and happily discussing with him the general public’s awareness and opportunities for further education on climate change. He said that he hoped that with the rise of climate change as a topic in school curriculums, more people would take it seriously and it would serve not only to educate children in the classrooms, but also to prompt discussion and awareness in the wider society.
And that’s where we (and you, the reader) come in. He urged us to continue our hard work because it serves not only to work towards positive change but also to publicise the difficulties that will be faced by children as a result of climate change. He seemed very impressed with the campaign and, as we were leaving, asked if he could keep the book of signatures - the answer was, of course, a resounding yes!
So all in all a great day, and fingers crossed, that he will bear the campaign in mind when he goes to the climate change summit in Durban next month!
Frances Bernhardt is a volunteer campaigner for UNICEF UK.
Take action: Ask David Cameron to support a Robin Hood Tax at the G20.