Primrose Lane Primary school pupils praised by COP26 President Alok Sharma for 'great' climate crisis suggestions

Schoolchildren at Primrose Lane primary school, in Boston Spa, made a lighthearted video revealing how they would solve the climate crisis.

Suggestions ranged from tree planting, installing solar panels and even to cars running on chocolate - with one cheeky child suggesting banning homework as it would save paper.

MP Alok Sharma, the president of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP26, watched the video and praised the "great suggestions",

The children were on hand to help launch National Grid’s ‘Voices for a Green Future’ competition, which is calling on kids to say in 200 words how they’d tackle climate change and look after the planet if they were in charge.

It comes as 86 per cent of kids in Leeds so they know about climate change and what it means for the planet.

A total of 84 per cent of Leeds kids say it’s their responsibility to look after the environment.

The highest in the region compared to children in York (81 per cent), Manchester (75 per cent) and Sheffield (71 per cent).

One in five (21 per cent) of Leeds kids say they have ideas about how to tackle the climate crisis that grownups aren’t doing, while 86 per cent of children in Leeds believe grownups need to do more to protect the environment.

Almost 67 per cent of Leeds children say they worry that by the time they’re grown up, it will be too late to fix the planet.

Four lucky winners of the Voices for a Green Future competition will be invited to create a two-to-five-minute speech, receiving a VIP video shoot with a professional videographer to turn their ideas into a film that will be premiered at COP26 in front of world leaders.

The winners will also secure a £5,000 grant for their school to put towards initiatives focused on climate change and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and £150 worth of National Book Tokens and science related toys for themselves.

David Wright, Chief Engineer of National Grid and one of the judges of the competition said: “Climate change impacts us all, but it is our children’s futures that will be most affected by the decisions we make today so it’s vital that their voices are heard.

"They have a strong understanding of the causes of climate change such as the fuel we put into our cars or the type of energy we use to heat our homes and schools.

"And as National Grid is at the centre of efforts to get Great Britain to net zero, I’m excited to hear from young people all over the country – they have inspiring ideas and they really can be the energy problem-solvers of tomorrow.”

COP26 President Alok Sharma added: “The role of young people in tackling climate change, one of the greatest challenges of our generation, will be crucial.

"It requires action from each of us on an individual and collective basis and I’m keen to hear from young people across the country, through National Grid’s Voices for a Green Future competition.

"I want them to raise their voices so that their interests are heard loud and clear at COP26."

National Grid’s Voices for a Green Future competition is open for entries.

Children and their parents/guardian can enter by visiting www.nationalgrid.com/voicesforagreenfuture.

The deadline for submissions is Tuesday, August 17.

The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference is scheduled to be held in Glasgow from October 31 to November 12.