COPA1 – The First Youth Environment Summit on Yr Wyddfa

The microplastics content of samples taken from Yr Wyddfa’s summit are 5% microplastics and almost 1.5 tonnes of litter have been brought down from the mountain in 2024 alone. The Plastic-Free Yr Wyddfa project, launched in October 2023, has worked with landowners, businesses, and academia to try and turn the tide on littler in the hills. We’ve run unique pilots, behavioral experiments and public information campaigns, with the aim of inspiring mountain users to tread lightly, leaving no trace.

The Eryri National Park Authority recognised the need to engage with younger audiences and the climate ambassadors of tomorrow to find novel solutions to the litter problem. The Authority saw a lack of opportunities to give local pupils a genuine equity stake in the future of the mountain and identified the need to provide a platform for budding entrepreneurs to share their creative and innovative ideas.

To create an inclusive forum for fresh ideas, the Eryri National Park Authority designed COPA1, a youth summit to be hosted on Yr Wyddfa, invited pupils of all academic abilities to pitch their solutions to the litter crisis. A competition was launch in March 2024, asking young people to send 2-minute videos selling their creative, innovative and game-changing concepts. Of the many submissions, fifteen shortlisted groups were then invited to incubator sessions at COPA1 in September 2024.

By working with experts from various sectors, these 15 groups of pupils (50+ students) tuned their concepts into deliverable projects and each presentation was scored on the merit of practicality, creativity and financial feasibility. Following incubator sessions with the specialists, the pupils traveled on the train to summit, with the aim of fostering nature connection and a sense of ownership for the delegates. 3 winning groups were selected to receive development £1,500 grants.

The National Park Authority worked with The National Lottery Community Fund and Bangor University, both of whom generously contributed to make COPA1 happen. We also partnered with Keep Wales Tidy, to leverage their expertise and network of school contacts. Our expert facilitators were MP Liz Saville Roberts, Pryderi Ap Rhisiart (Managing Director of M-Spar) and Casi Wyn (author, poet and musician)

The National Park Authority will now be working with the 3 winning groups to spend their development grants, to turn their ideas into reality. These ideas range from a 3D printed, recycled plastic belt clip for holding compostable bags, an incentives scheme for visitors to ”give back” by collecting litter and a dramatic art installation to be positioned at one of the key trail heads to the mountain.

Ensuring the relevant teachers received all the information for the competition ahead of COPA1, and reaching young people to engage with them directly was also a challenge.

There is a significant interest from young people voice their solutions to environmental issues, and COPA1 proved to be a hotbed for novel thinking. The National Park Authority looks forward to working more with young climate ambassadors and is poised to start planning COPA2!