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24 Hours Of Action At The Global Youth Climate Summit
Oxford Saïd's summer school closing ceremony. Courtesy photo
On Friday, June 6, 2025, students, educators, researchers, and climate advocates from around the world will come together virtually for the Right Here Right Now Global Youth Climate Summit — a 24-hour online event hosted by Oxford University's Saïd Business School in partnership with UN Human Rights.
The summit is part of the broader Right Here Right Now Global Climate Alliance, originally launched at COP26 with support from figures such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Quincy Jones. Far from a typical conference, the event is designed as a platform for action, filled with ideas, inspiration, and practical strategies to combat climate change.
Jo Fawkes: 'We need to approach this as a community-driven effort, not just something happening within Oxford. It's crucial to keep these discussions alive and evolving. Otherwise, groundbreaking ideas from students risk getting lost.' Courtesy photo
At the forefront of the initiative are Jo Fawkes, Oxford Saïd's director of global inclusion and youth education, and Purdey Morgan, the school's climate content marketing manager. Both have been instrumental in shaping the event to elevate the voices of young changemakers and ensure the summit delivers lasting impact.
For Fawkes, the summit is a natural progression of a three-year global climate challenge competition that aimed to give students visibility and support. 'We've got some fantastic case studies of students doing incredible work across the world,' she says. 'This event is about showcasing their efforts and ensuring their ideas don't just exist in isolation but reach classrooms worldwide.'
She emphasizes that educators play an equally vital role. 'If we want real change, we need climate education to be practical, accessible, and inspiring — not just theoretical. This summit is a way for teachers to share best practices and engage more deeply in the climate movement.'
Fawkes hopes the initiative inspires other business schools to get involved. 'We need to approach this as a community-driven effort, not just something happening within Oxford,' she explains. 'It's crucial to keep these discussions alive and evolving. Otherwise, groundbreaking ideas from students risk getting lost.'
The summit will feature a diverse lineup of educators, researchers, and youth leaders, including Moses Brings Plenty — a Lakota actor and Indigenous rights advocate; Lucas Olscamp — youth educator and Climate Change Challenge winner; and several leading Oxford researchers who will share scenario-planning strategies for impactful climate action. Rituraj Phukan, a TEDx speaker and environmental writer, will discuss activism and Indigenous perspectives, while Henry Majed, co-founder of MyMynd, will address the mental health challenges youth face in the wake of climate change.
Structured as a 24-hour event that 'moves across the world,' the summit will follow the sun, featuring teacher roundtables, youth-led panels, and live Q&As that explore the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 'We're trying to tackle all different elements of climate change,' says Morgan. 'From faculty experts discussing scenario planning to journalists covering sustainability and alumni pushing corporate climate goals — we want this summit to reflect the full spectrum of climate action.'
Oxford Saïd is also launching a new summer school on entrepreneurship, designed to help students transform their competition ideas into actionable projects. 'We want more organizations to step in and financially support these students,' says Fawkes.
One of the key goals of the summit, both Fawkes and Morgan stress, is to ensure that the ideas and resources shared don't vanish once the event concludes. 'Everything we create will be hosted online as free, readily available resources,' says Morgan. 'We want to get Oxford's research and tools into the hands of teenagers and changemakers, so they can turn knowledge into action in their communities and beyond.'
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