School students are being given the opportunity to participate in a nationwide consultation process on how New Zealand should respond to climate change.

A consultation document designed specifically for students and their families to learn more about the Kyoto Protocol is being distributed to schools nationwide this week.

The document explains the protocol, which is the international agreement on reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. It gives students the chance to say how they think climate change will affect them, what their views are of the Government's intention to ratify the protocol, and what they would be prepared to do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"It's important that school students get the chance to learn about and discuss climate change because it's going to affect them even more than today's adult population," said Pete Hodgson, Convenor of the Ministerial Group on Climate Change. "This is about the world they inherit, so we want them to understand it and we're interested in what they have to say about it."

Students will be able to make submissions after reading the consultation document and are encouraged to do this with their families.

The release of the schools document is part of the nationwide public consultation process on climate change now under way. The release of the main consultation document last month is being backed up with meetings all around the country with Maori, business, sector and industry groups, local government, and the public.

Copies of the school material can be ordered or downloaded from www.climatechange.govt.nz.