Technology company Siemens hosted secondary school students from across Greater Manchester for a day of learning about sustainable futures, as world leaders gathered in Baku, Azerbeijan, for COP29.
In partnership with Siemens, leading businesses from across the North West, including Wesleyan, Adecco and Nestlé, delivered workshops to encourage pupils to consider the careers that will be key in tackling the growing shortage of sustainability skills.
The 50 student attendees also got the opportunity to meet a range of Siemens employees – including Director of Sustainability Louise Harry – to discuss the vast number of sustainability careers available and the technology being used to drive sustainability in industry across the UK.
The event at Siemens’ Manchester HQ forms part of the WildHearts Global Youth Summit – the world’s largest youth-led sustainability event.
Organised to coincide with the United Nations’ annual Climate Change conference, COP, the Global Youth Summit connects over 35,000 young people across five continents every year to encourage learning, collaboration and innovation for a more sustainable future.
This was the second consecutive year in which Manchester was selected as a WildHeart Youth Summit Hub location thanks to Siemens’ support.
Louise Harry, Director of Sustainability and EHS at Siemens UK, said: “As we transition towards a more sustainable future, it’s vital that we foster and maintain a talent pipeline that ensures we can meet the growing need for sustainable skills in the years to come. Initiatives such as this have a key role to play in providing students with the tools they need to develop into our next generation of sustainability leaders and decision makers.
“I want to thank Wesleyan, Adecco and Nestlé for joining us this year. Businesses across all sectors have an integral role to play not just in driving sustainable practices now, but in laying the foundations to allow for us to build a more sustainable way of living and doing business in the future.”
Dr Mick Jackson, Founder, WildHearts Group: “After partnering with Siemens in 2023 to deliver our first ever event in Manchester, we knew that we had to return this year to connect once again with the region’s brilliant businesses and inspiring students.
“Events such as COP29 can have such a wide-ranging impact on our day to day lives – yet with them often taking place at the other side of the world, it’s important that we provide the younger generation with a window into what they entail, to help equip them with the knowledge to make positive change.”
