Environmental Youth Speak Competition

2026 Environmental Youth Speak Final

The Final of the 2026 Environmental Youth Speak Competition was held at the Downshire Civic Centre at the end of March. Thirteen pupils from primary and secondary schools across the district were selected from over forty online entries and invited to deliver their speeches to a three-person judging panel. 

The competition is organised each year by the Sustainability section of the Sustainability and Environment Department. Its aim is to encourage young people to discuss important environmental issues. The competition culm inates with the announcement of the Junior and Senior Environmental Youth Speak Champions. Pupils were given two environmental topics to speak on and this year Primary school pupils spoke on the topic “Where would we bee without pollinators”, while Secondary schools were asked to speak on “How the UN’s Sustainable Development goals are important to me”.  

The judging panel of Conor Sage, Assistant Director of Sustainability, NMDDC; Eamonn Keaveney, Head of Sustainability, NMDDC and Nichola Hughes, Chief Executive of Sustainable NI had a very difficult task choosing overall winners. Eventually after long deliberation the judges chose as this year’s overall winner, in the Junior Section, Charlotte Magee from St Malachy’s Primary School, Camlough and Conor Rooney Davis from St Louis Grammar School, Kilkeel was the winner in the Senior Section.

Chairperson Councillor Philip Campbell who compered the event, after hearing all pupils speak, remarked “It was a pleasure to be here today to listen to all your speeches. Every one of you has presented with such confidence and has done yourself and your school proud. I have learned so much today from you all. From the importance of pollinators for our eco system and the role bees play, to the relevance of the UN’s seventeen sustainable development goals and how they provide us with a pathway to end poverty, protect the environment and ensure prosperity for all”.

“Everybody taking part today are winners for making it this far and no one goes away empty handed. Huge congratulations to our overall winners in the junior and senior section Charlotte and Conor. You presented imaginative, informative and engaging speeches and were worthy recipients of the title of Environmental Youth Speak Junior and Senior champions.”

Chairperson Campbell presented the Junior and Senior Champions with a trophy for them to keep, a certificate and a £100 voucher each. All finalists received a commemorative certificate and £25 voucher each.

The Sustainability Section would like to thank all schools who participated in the 2026 competition and look forward to holding the competition again in 2027, details of which will appear on this page at a later date.