Nelson voices in Copenhagen

Nelson climate change ambassador Travis Mills says Copenhagen is "busy, tiring, and very cold", but he's thriving at the global epicentre of the climate change problem.

Along with fellow Nelsonian, 17-year-old Abby Ward, the Waimea College 15-year-old is in Copenhagen, having attended the UNICEF Children's Climate Forum there, which ended last week. The Kiwi teens were among 160 delegates from 44 countries at the conference. Travis has been attending workshops specialising in adapting to the effects of climate change and is already figuring out how to bring all he learns back home.

He has plans for an interactive exhibition titled "Climate Change and You", which, he said, would feature movies, drama, dance and singing.

"It's all in youth language that can help them understand what it is – with climate change you've got a whole lot of big words," he said. "So it's about breaking it down into smaller easy to understand pieces and making it relevant."

Travis was also selected as one of five youth to be on the closing press conference at the forum, where the children's resolution on climate change will be handed to the president of the talks, Connie Hedegaard.

He said the best part of his trip so far had been meeting the other delegates of developed and developing nations.

The Climate Kiwis have also been visiting local Danish schools and Travis said he had been fascinated at how different the Danish approach to Christmas was.

He had some advice for Prime Minister John Key, who is on his way to Copenhagen. "The National Party needs to understand that climate change works within the economy; they're not two separate things." Travis is due back in New Zealand on December 20.

- © Fairfax NZ News