Ahead of the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram has met with young people from across the Liverpool City Region to listen to their thoughts on a range of environment-related issues.

At the meeting, young people taking part in NCS (National Citizen Service), and drawn from groups across the Liverpool City Region, talked about the changes they believe will be needed for the region to reduce emissions and reach net zero carbon by 2040.

They looked specifically at changes that will be needed in the home, in how people get around, in our neighbourhoods, and in the world of work, before spending an hour outlining their ideas to the Mayor and asking him questions about his green agenda.

The young people are all participants in the NCS Changemakers programme, which enables young people to design and deliver meaningful social action projects to have a positive and long-standing impact in their local area. This year a key theme for Changemakers across the whole country has been environmental issues.

Speaking about the event, Mayor Rotheram said:

“Climate change is the defining issue of our age. No longer a threat for the future, it presents a clear and present danger to all of us right here and right now and to generations to come, including some of these amazing young people I’ve met today.

“At COP26 next month, I’ll be attending as a representative of 1.6m people who call the Liverpool City Region home to demand urgent action from global leaders to help us transition to net zero as quickly as possible.

“I’ll also be there arguing for investment in our region and making the case for us to be among the leaders of the green industrial revolution. We’ve got plenty of pioneering schemes like HyNet and our own Mersey Tidal Power project that could revolutionise the way we power our homes, fuel our transport, supply energy intensive industries and run our country. The world has to move to net zero quickly – and we’ll be helping to lead the charge.”

Ed Curry, Head of Programme Design and Delivery – NCS at The Growth Company, said:

“A key aim of NCS is enabling young people to understand that their voice matters and that they can make a positive contribution to their communities. This meeting has been a fantastic opportunity for young people from across the city region to share their views and ideas with the Mayor and contribute to the green agenda. Our thanks go to the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and our NCS Delivery Partners for facilitating this opportunity.”

17-year-old NCS Changemaker Billy Rimmer said:

“The event today allowed me to have my voice heard and express my opinions on what would be best for the council. It also helped me become more confident to express these personal views.”

Izabela Radu, 17, said:

“Today’s event with the Liverpool City Region Mayor was an interesting opportunity which made me more aware of what is going on around me; I definitely want to get more involved in similar projects!”

Abena Quartey, 16, said:

“I think Steve Rotheram listened attentively to all our queries about his climate change policies, especially my suggestion about implementing a bus lane to make public transport more desirable within the city. He took the time to answer all our questions clearly and with thought.”