Libby Coker (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Congratulations on your role, Deputy Speaker Claydon. I am proud to announce that I'm running a climate project for students in my region for the second year in a row. The Corangamite Schools Climate Change Challenge is a project I started in 2021 to help schools reduce their carbon emissions. I have been delighted to see the passion and enthusiasm of primary and secondary students in my region who last year undertook to reduce waste, increase recycling efforts in their schools and raise awareness about climate change and the impact it's having on our planet. I was impressed to see how dedicated students were to this project and the level of detail they provided. Some students collected data on energy use in their schools and calculated how many tonnes of CO2 they could save if they implemented some simple measures like walking to school and composting food waste.

This year, I have invited all secondary and primary students to register to participate in the next challenge, which will run throughout term 3 and end with a prize for the best project in each division. I encourage all schools in my electorate to take part in this challenge. It's a great way to integrate climate initiatives into subjects like maths, science, English, communications, arts and design, and it's a fantastic way for students to feel empowered and to encourage their families to get involved too.