Pupils at Ripple Primary School in Barking held a special climate change conference as part of the Great Big Green Week, the nation’s biggest celebration of community action to tackle climate change.

It’s the second time the school has hosted such an event, following on from a successful pioneering event last year. It has since earned praise for its passion and commitment to tackling climate change in a letter from His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.

The school’s Pupil Parliament hosted a Q&A session with Councillor Kashif Haroon, Cabinet Member for Public Realm and Climate Change. The youngsters, aged 5 to 11, took the opportunity to ask questions about the council’s commitment to tackling climate change and quizzed the councillor about the work that he is proud of.

Barking and Dagenham Council declared a climate emergency in 2020 and has introduced a range of measures to help reduce its carbon footprint. It recently launched the fourth phase of its Cleaner, Greener campaign, which calls on residents to play their part in keeping the borough clean and living sustainably.  

Councillor Haroon said: “I applaud the efforts of the staff at Ripple Primary for educating pupils about the most important thing affecting our lives.

“Our young people have experienced the impact of global warming right on their doorstep in recent years.

“It’s vital that we educate them on how to live cleaner, greener lives, to secure a better safer world for them and future generations.”

The school also welcomed another special guest, Professor Warwick Murray, a professor of geography in New Zealand, who joined the conference as part of his tour of England. He gave an impassioned speech about protecting the environment and challenged pupils to make a difference.

Headteacher of Ripple Primary School, Roger Mitchell, said: “Our young people have an astute understanding of the climate crisis - they’re prepared to take on the future responsibility of securing our planet, and are always ready to hold the older generation to account for the legacy they will leave them to deal with.

“I am very proud of how well they prepared their questions to put to Councillor Haroon who was fully engaged in the presentations and challenges posed to him by the children.”