Leicester’s role in creating a better future for Earth to be highlighted during COP30 climate conference
An evening of science, creativity and community action will reveal how Leicester is helping to shape a better future for our planet during COP30.
The UN’s climate conference will run from Monday, November 10, to Friday, November 21, in Brazil and to mark the event Space Park Leicester will host a special celebration on Wednesday, November 19.
‘Climate & Community: Leicester’s Journey to COP30’ will bring together leading researchers, innovators and local residents to explore how Leicester’s work in climate science, space technology and sustainable innovation is helping to create a better future for Earth.
The free event will feature hands-on science and sustainability exhibits, Earth observation displays and demonstrations and creative and educational activities for all ages.
There will be talks from University of Leicester experts Dr Neil Humpage on tracking greenhouse gases and from Professor Susan Page on peatlands, people and the planet. Experts from Messium – a graduate of Space Park Leicester’s prestigious ESA BIC programme – will reveal how hyperspectral technology is transforming sustainable farming.
Subject to weather conditions, visitors will also be able to see how drones are revolutionising climate research from surveying and custom payload integration to heavy-payload environmental monitoring.
In partnership with the National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO), Space Park Leicester is also giving people the chance to win a family ticket to the National Space Centre by entering a poetry competition called ‘There is no Planet B…’.
NCEO Outreach Officer Catherine Fitzsimons said: “We’re inviting people of all ages to have a go at creating a poem exploring the theme ‘There is no Planet B…’.
“Entrants can write about the complexity of the climate or focus on a single aspect of Planet A – as it is now, or as it might be.
“They might want to think about the world as a whole or zoom in on a country, community or a single person. What’s important is that the poem makes people think and is the entrant’s own unpublished work.”
The competition will have three age categories – under 11, age 11 to 16 and over 16.
The poems can be in any form, including free verse and prose poetry, but must be no more than 40 lines or 500 words for a prose poem.
Entries must be submitted by 11.59pm UK time on Thursday, November 13, to outreach@space-park.co.uk using either the individual or group entry forms on the Space Park Leicester website at https://www.space-park.co.uk/2025/10/there-is-no-planet-b-poetry-competition/
The winners will be announced at noon on Tuesday, November 18, and will be invited to read their poems at the Space Park Leicester COP30 celebration event which will run from 4pm to 6pm on Wednesday, November 19. It will be immediately preceded by a Cosmic Coffee networking event which will take place from 3pm to 4pm.
An e-book featuring as many of the entries as possible will be released following the event.
- To attend Climate & Community: Leicester’s Journey to COP30, book your free place at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/climate-community-leicesters-journey-to-cop30-tickets-1820178164889
- To book a free place at Cosmic Coffee, go to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1819195265009
To explore Space Park Leicester partnerships, missions, residents, facilities, training programmes and innovation products, visit www.space-park.co.uk or to learn more about the University of Leicester visit https://le.ac.uk/