Next Gen CEN

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Are you a student or young professional interested in finding out more about conservative environmentalism? Do you identify with conservative values and care about tackling climate change and restoring nature for future generations?

Then get involved in the Conservative Environment Network (CEN) by:

Joining CEN as a supporter for free and opting in to our youth programme, Next Gen CEN.
Applying to become a CEN ambassador. We even have a programme for young ambassadors. Find out more below.
Enter our essay competition for under 30s and set out your green vision for the future of conservatism.
Registering to attend CEN events for free.
Applying to attend our annual CEN Academy, a free residential course for students and recent graduates.
Coming along to our young professionals drinks. Register your interest here.

We occasionally offer work experience placements depending on our upcoming programme of work. If this interests you, then please send your CV and availability to info@cen.uk.com.

CEN young ambassadors

Running alongside the CEN ambassadors programme, we have a network of young ambassadors for those aged between 18 and 26. After turning 27, they will continue to be CEN ambassadors.

Our young ambassadors will be helping us design a new programme of events. These will include offering talks about CEN to students at young conservative societies and climate and environment societies, and holding biannual young professionals networking drinks for those interested in politics and environmentalism.

We are planning to hold an event for our young ambassadors at Conservative Party Conference. This will be an opportunity for everyone to meet in person.

To help develop our young ambassadors' skills, we will be arranging a hybrid training session. We will work with them to find out which topics would be most useful to focus on.

Apply to become an ambassador and get in touch with any questions about the role.

Work experience

The Conservative Environment Network is offering work experience placements for university students, or those about to start university, who are over 18 and wish to gain first-hand experience of working in politics and/or the environmental sector. This opportunity is an exclusive perk of our Next Gen Cen programme, which you can sign up to here.

This voluntary, three-day experience will give students the ability to develop their knowledge of how politics works, as well as their understanding of market-led solutions to tackle climate change and nature loss. This placement will equip students with knowledge of policy making and research, as well as writing, communications and digital skills.

If this interests you, please send your CV, availability and around 100 words on why you want to undertake work experience at CEN to info@cen.uk.com.

CEN Academy

Every August we hold our annual CEN Academy for students and recent graduates passionate about conservative environmentalism.

The CEN Academy is a three-day residential course which offers attendees a chance to learn about environmental policy debates and conservative, market-led solutions. It covers topical issues such as how to restore nature, how to build more clean and secure energy, and how the global centre-right can cooperate to protect our planet.

Each session is led by members of the CEN team, and guest speakers include CEN MPs and environmental experts. We also undertake a visit to see nature restoration in action. In addition to learning about environmental policy, attendees gain skills useful for a career in politics, such as handling the media and developing public policy.

Our academies are free to attend, and attendees' accommodation and meals are covered.

Attendees are expected to fund their own travel to and from the venue. However, there are travel bursaries available if travel costs would prevent potential applicants from applying.

If you would like to register your interest in applying to attend future academies, please email info@cen.uk.com.

CEN Academy testimonials

Find out what previous attendees have said about the academy.

Sam Payne

CEN Academy 2022 attendee and Climate Programme Manager at CEN as of April 2023

"The inaugural CEN Academy in 2022 was a great chance for me to further my knowledge of the conservative environmental debate and meet with like-minded young conservative environmentalists. The Academy was more than just the learning though - the sessions such as the Dragons Den panel were a chance to work in a team, formulate an idea and argue the case. Meeting with a Defra Minister and going on a local field trip were great chances to see environmentalism at work, outside of the classroom. Having been introduced to CEN at the academy and the great work that is being done, I'm pleased to now work in CEN's climate team."

Charlotte Whitehouse

CEN Academy 2023 attendee

"CEN Academy is a very informative and interesting experience. The talks with the MPs give you an insight into life in the government and the work that goes on behind the scenes. The activities set gave us a good amount of time to come up with valuable ideas on how to improve the environment and delivery. Working as a team helped boost our confidence and get to know each other better. It was good to meet like-minded individuals who are both passionate about the environment and the Conservative Party like me and it helped give me valuable interpersonal skills that I can take forward with me into my career."

Nathan Stone

CEN Academy 2023 attendee

"CEN Academy was a fantastic opportunity to meet like-minded conservatives who all share a concern for our environment. It tackles the commonly-held perception that environmentalism and conservatism have been artificially welded together, arguing that not only is environmentalism deep rooted in conservative thinking, but that the race to net zero presents new opportunities to further the conservative causes of pragmatism, free markets, and economic growth. If you want to be equipped with the tools to make these arguments, I cannot recommend CEN Academy enough."

Josef Webster

CEN Academy 2022 attendee

"The CEN Academy was an incredible experience which provided me with an excellent grounding in conservative environmentalism. The team dispelled any nervousness and made me feel very welcome as soon as I stepped onto the campus, and I made lots of friends from all across the country that I’m still in contact with today. The timetable was finely tuned and the talks and workshops covered a breadth of fascinating topics. Overall, the CEN Academy is a marvellous opportunity that I will always reflect fondly upon. I can’t recommend applying enough."

Melissa Hussain

CEN Academy 2023 attendee

"CEN Academy fundamentally taught me about how to be a strong advocate of conservative environmentalism, from how to communicate our ideals, to how we can better understand the complexity of climate-related news, concerns about which we must often respond to when we’re campaigning across the country as activists."

Aditya Sabnis

CEN Academy 2022 attendee

"I really enjoyed the CEN Academy. I loved staying in the Oxford college and also having the opportunity to explore the local area as well. I really enjoyed the talks and tasks regarding energy policy and biodiversity. I loved getting to meet fellow young conservatives who are also passionate about the environment."

Oliver Gibson

CEN Academy 2022 attendee

"My time at the inaugural CEN Academy in 2022 not only introduced me to themes in climate policy and communication, but it also allowed me to deeply engage in these themes with colleagues through discussions, policy pitches, presentations and excursions. I left the academy more confident of my professional abilities and ready to begin my MA and career in political communication, while making some new connections along the way. I couldn't recommend CEN Academy enough!"

Jason Yan

CEN Academy 2022 attendee

"CEN Academy was a lovely couple of days for me. It's a great chance to meet people from across the country, discover some of the less talked about aspects of the fight against climate change, and hear from some of the cogs that keep government turning. But most importantly, it's good fun."