Workshop “Climate adaptation in Kempten” - The future in the hands of young people
On November 22, 2024, the “Alpine Watercourses and Natural Hazards” research group from the University of the Federal Armed Forces in Munich took part in the “Climate Adaptation in Kempten” workshop. The event took place at Hildegardis-Gymnasium and was part of the AdaptNow project, which is co-funded by the Interreg Alpine Space Initiative.
The workshop brought together committed experts, local stakeholders and young people to discuss and present concrete measures and strategies for adapting to the consequences of climate change. The projects of the so-called climate ambassadors from Hildegardis-Gymnasium were particularly noteworthy: pupils from Year 8 onwards who not only talk about climate protection, but also actively implement it in their everyday lives.
Projects that impress
The climate ambassadors impressively demonstrated how local initiatives can have a major impact. The projects presented included:
Climate dinner: sustainability through home-cooked vegetarian dishes that delighted classmates and guests.
Waste collection campaigns: Commitment to a clean and liveable environment.
Scrub clearance of moorland: an active contribution to the preservation of these important ecosystems.
Sustainable snack packaging: Initiatives to reduce single-use plastic in everyday school life.
Returnable bottles instead of plastic drink packs: A conscious decision to conserve resources and avoid waste.
These projects impressively demonstrated that climate protection starts locally - in the classroom, in the schoolyard and in the city. The creative and pragmatic approaches of the pupils illustrate how effective local commitment can be.
A day of cooperation and exchange
In addition to the student projects, it was a valuable experience for the research group to work together with other experts on site, including Bernhard Simon, Head of the Kempten Water Management Office, as well as Dr. Hans-Jörg Barth and Dr. Petra Hausmann from the Allgäu Energy and Environment Centre. Together, the experts were able to support the climate ambassadors and their teachers, answer questions and discuss the necessary priorities for climate adaptation in Kempten in the concluding discussion round.
Inspiration for the future
The children and young people at Hildegardis-Gymnasium show impressively how climate protection can be implemented in concrete terms: locally, effectively and with great commitment. Their projects not only serve as a role model for their classmates, but are also a call to society to take responsibility and act with pragmatic solutions. At a time when climate conferences are often characterized by grand but sometimes non-committal words, the micro-projects implemented by these students are all the more inspiring. Such commitment shows that change can start right on our doorstep. Many thanks to Hildegardis-Gymnasium and the climate ambassadors for their commitment.
Further links: Website ADAPTNOW
Fig.: Demonstration of the natural hazard model at Hildegardis-Gymnasium
Pictures: Petra Hausmann