Creating Change

A thousand children from 100 countries will learn how they can help create a better environment and climate on the planet. That will occur at Tunza, the UN's International Children’s Conference on the Environment.

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For the first time in history the United Nations International Children's Conference on the Environment, called Tunza, is held in Norway. Children from more than 100 contries will meet for the conference.

StatoilHydro is supporting the conference, which opened in Stavanger, Norway on 17 June. At Tunza, the children, the leaders of tomorrow, shall help develop solutions to face the world's environmental challenges. At the conference the children will meet today's leaders.

They will be able to express their views and thoughts about the environment and have an opportunity to help bring about change. The event shall also help raise awareness among authorities, business and industry and the society at large that it is important to have a dialogue with children and youth with regard to environmental work.

The participants are children between the ages of 10 and 14. Prior to the conference, they have carried out various environmental projects in their home countries. The conference has a broad programme with a total of 70 workshops and 50 excursions.

StatoilHydro has supported Tunza with a total of NOK 1.2 million over a period of three years. The company is one of the main sponsors of this year's event.

In addition, StatoilHydro will be holding four workshops based on the following themes:

carbon dioxide
oil pollution control
biological diversity and deep water species
new energy and hydrogen

Growing

"We want children to learn and be inspired. With us they will get a chance to meet researchers who will give them time and attention. That experience may influence their choice of education and career." So says Trude Sundset, Senior Vice President for Environment and Climate at StatoilHydro.

She points out that the world is facing two major challenges in the coming years. On the one hand, the world's growing population has growing energy needs. At the same time, we have to reduce emissions of human-generated greenhouse gases.

"The generation that is growing up today will face this problem to an even greater extent than today's adults. In the coming years, there will be many more jobs in the fields of the environment and climate than there are at present. Our industry is responsible for helping develop solutions to the climate challenges. We need children and youth who are interested in developing the solutions of tomorrow."

Two-way

Sundset emphasises that Tunza will not only be rewarding to the children who participate, but also to the adults. "We're talking about two-way communication. I am impressed when I see the projects the children submitted and the inherent creativity they display. Maybe a child from Cameroon will come up with an environmental measure we can use," muses StatoilHydro's Senior Vice President for Environment and Climate.