Advanced topic · Debate & discussion
Climate change solutions
It's the defining issue of their generation — and one they care about deeply. The goal: move past worry to real solutions, and the language to argue for them.
Warm-up · ask three
- Have you noticed the weather changing where you live?
- What's one small thing you already do for the planet?
- Do you feel more hopeful or more worried about climate change?
Our warming world
Let's talk
Discussion & debate questions
Start with the easier B2 questions to build confidence, then push to the C1 stretch. Project the generator, filter by level, and give a student 60 seconds.
Random question generator
Press “New question” to put one on the board.
Deck 1
Noticing the problem
- What do you know about climate change? Explain it simply.B2
- What signs of climate change have you noticed or heard about?B2
- How do you feel when you hear about it — worried, hopeful, tired?B2
- Do you think it's a serious problem? Why?B2
- Do you talk about it with friends or family?B2
Deck 2
Everyday actions
- What small things can ordinary people do to help?B2
- What do you already do to reduce your "carbon footprint"?B2
- Could you give up flying, or eating meat, to help?B2
- Is recycling actually making a real difference?B2
- Whose job is it more — individuals, or governments?C1
Deck 3
Energy & transport
- Should every country switch to renewable energy?B2
- Are electric cars really the answer?B2
- Would you pay more for "green" energy?C1
- How can cities cut down on traffic and pollution?C1
- Is nuclear power a good climate solution?C1
Deck 4
Money & fairness
- Should the biggest polluting companies pay the most?C1
- Is it fair to ask poorer countries to cut emissions?C1
- Should there be a tax on carbon?C1
- Can we fix climate change without hurting the economy?C1
- Who should pay to repair the damage already done?C1
Deck 5
Hope & action
- Are you optimistic that we'll solve it?B2
- Should schools teach much more about climate change?B2
- Would you ever join a climate protest?B2
- What's the single most effective solution, in your view?C1
- If you led your country, what's the first thing you'd do?C1
Argue with confidence
Useful language
This topic is about solutions, so the key language is for proposing and persuading. Pre-teach these to make it work for B2 as well as C1.
Debate phrases
For proposing a fix and winning people over.
Proposing solutions
Persuading
Agreeing & disagreeing
Prioritising (C1)
Words & phrases
Topic vocabulary to sound precise on climate.
gases that trap heat in the atmosphere
"Greenhouse gases drive global warming."
the amount of CO2 your actions produce
"Flying really raises your carbon footprint."
energy from sources that don't run out
"Solar and wind are renewable energy."
coal, oil and gas
"Fossil fuels are the main cause."
gases released into the air
"We urgently need to cut emissions."
able to continue without harming the planet
"a more sustainable lifestyle."
adding no extra CO2 to the atmosphere overall
"The goal is net zero by 2050."
Judging-a-solution word bank
Words to weigh up how good a fix really is.
Model debate
Maya & Ravi after the news
Watch how Maya keeps turning despair into a "we should". Then hold the formal debate below.
The credits roll on a climate documentary. One of them looks defeated.
That was terrifying. Honestly, what's the point — nothing I do makes a difference.
I get that, but we can't afford to ignore it. Small changes add up.
Do they, though? My recycling won't shut down a coal plant.
You've got a point, but if millions recycle, vote and protest, that's real pressure.
The best way forward is governments forcing big companies to change.
Absolutely — first and foremost it's a government job. But governments follow the public.
So you're saying it has to be both?
In the long run, yes. We push, they act. One without the other does nothing.
Fair. What if we started with something simple, like cutting food waste?
One solution would be exactly that — cheap, easy, and it genuinely works.
Okay, you've convinced me. I'll stop binning half my fridge.
That's the spirit. Small steps, big numbers.
Now hold the debate
Proposition · for the motion
People power
You argue that change starts from the bottom — how we vote, shop, travel and protest is what forces companies and leaders to act.
Opposition · against the motion
Governments first
You argue that only laws, taxes and global deals can cut emissions at the scale and speed the science demands.
Your mission
- Take your side, even if it's not what you personally believe.
- Prepare two arguments — each one a Point, an Example and an Explanation.
- Predict one argument the other side will make, and prepare your response.
- Debate: one minute each to argue, then one rebuttal each. Use at least three phrases from the language section.
Classroom game
Solution Showdown
Two real climate solutions go head-to-head. Which would do more to fix the problem? Vote, watch the split — then make students defend the winner and rescue the loser.
Which would be more effective?
Round 1
How to play: Read both solutions, take a vote and tap the totals in. Then one student defends the more popular choice, and another argues why the "loser" still matters. No solution is useless — that's the debate.
Wind down & write
Choose your writing task
Turn the debate into writing. These are B2–C1 tasks — encourage a clear position, real solutions, and the persuading language from the lesson.
01
Write about a time you learned something new about climate change. Did it change how you think?
02
Imagine you are a world leader. What policies would you introduce to fight climate change?
03
What is the single most effective way to combat climate change? Argue your case.
04
Write a letter to a friend explaining why climate change matters and what they can do.
05
Describe a future where climate change has been stopped. How is life different?
Exit ticket · 60 seconds
Before you leave
Quick round-the-room close: each student finishes the sentence with one real, achievable commitment.
"Finish this: the one change I'll actually make this month is…"