Schools in the Sydney region will be making the planet a greener and cleaner place after a bill tabled in Parliament pledging a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions was passed unanimously by students.

Almost 100 Year 9 students from more than 20 high schools attended The Sydney Region Public Schools Climate Change Protocol forum at NSW Parliament House last term to vote on the Sydney Schools Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Bill.

The students, who represented their schools as acting Members of Parliament, followed legislative procedures to support or challenge the bill.

The sitting took place in the lower and upper houses over one day and led to the ratification of a Climate Change Protocol, which schools can use to guide environmental practices.

Each student was elected to represent the government or opposition and was required to conduct prior research to argue their case.

Issues, which were debated with gusto and to the cries of “hear, hear” or “rubbish”, covered biodiversity, drought and water supply, rising sea levels, energy efficiency, carbon tax and trading, education and health.

Alice T, a student at Newtown High School of Performing Arts, acted as minister for the environment, conservation and climate change.

She began proceedings with a feisty speech proposing mandated carbon emission reduction targets for schools.

“The Sydney Schools Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Bill aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent in 2020 and by 60 per cent in 2050 across all Sydney schools … this is a very realistic target given that Newtown High School of the Performing Arts in four weeks reduced 40 per cent of their electricity usage,” Alice said.

“Over the past 200 years carbon dioxide has increased by 81 per cent and if this bill is not introduced there will be major consequences for us and our planet.” The opposition minister for the environment and Member for Menai High School, Kait B, pointed out omissions by the Member for Newtown High and instead proposed voluntary targets.

“Ms Speaker, has the minister put into perspective what little change this bill is going to make worldwide? …The entire population of Australia only contributes to a minor 1.4 per cent of greenhouse gases worldwide … the economic beating that NSW will receive from the creation of this bill should also be addressed,” she said.

“We propose a policy of voluntary emission reductions … It will make people more enthusiastic about the reductions for they are doing it by choice not by force.” The principal of Botany Environmental Education Centre, John Atkins, said the event gave the students the opportunity to see their peers take a lead on a global issue rather than just hearing about it from adults.

“In effect they’ve taken on the role of teachers and they’ve taught themselves about some of the more sophisticated aspects of responding to climate change.

I think that’s going to build up to the next action, which is to put in place in their schools the climate change protocol.” Student Max P, from Sydney Boys High, said it was reassuring to see the initiative being taken by his peers.

“I’ve always thought of climate change as a big issue but it’s given me enough to go back to school to try and act on it and see our principal to do something about it – before I was just thinking about it.” Alice T said the experience was “nerveracking” but a unique learning experience.

“One of the things I didn’t think about was the health aspects – how bacteria grow when it’s hotter.

I didn’t even think about that,” she said.

During Question Time students were addressed by University of NSW academics Professor David Waite, head of the school of civil and environmental engineering, and Dr Ben McNeil from the Climate Change Research Centre.

Sydney region director Phil Lambert said it was evident that the students understood the importance of knowing their facts and countering alternative views.

“They not only did their research, they learnt from each other and from experts in the field – above all that they learnt parliamentary debating,” he said.

School education director Lynne Irvine said the protocol would guide schools to develop emission reduction strategies based on environmental audits and to set targets in consultation with their school community.

“If all schools in the region decide to participate, then each of the 228 schools would arrive at its own reduction targets, which would be linked to the department of education’s environmental education policy,” she said.

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