The benefits of wind energy outweigh its potential impact on the environment – this is the winning argument, most convincingly defended by the team of Liepāja State Gymnasium during the national student debate tournament finals organised by the association “Debate Center” and the Latvian Wind Energy Association.
On Saturday, the strongest debaters from across Latvia gathered at Āgenskalns State Gymnasium to defend their views in the final, following the regional debate rounds, on whether the benefits of wind farms outweigh their potential environmental impact. A total of 36 debate teams from 20 schools across Latvia participated in the tournament.
In the English language group, the team from Liepāja State Gymnasium took first place, while students from Liepāja Oskars Kalpaks Secondary School earned second place. In the Latvian language group, the team from Ventspils Secondary School No. 4 won first place, while students from Liepāja Draudzīgā aicinājuma Secondary School placed second. In the lower secondary group, the team from Liepāja Rainis Secondary School won first place, while the team from Liepāja State Gymnasium placed second.
Throughout the tournament, students demonstrated strong critical thinking, argumentation, and public speaking skills, engaging deeply with issues related to energy, the environment, and economic development. The debates were held in the World Schools Debate format in both Latvian and English.
“It is important that the topic of the tournament is relevant and allows participants to gain new knowledge as well as deepen their understanding of significant processes and developments. In my view, the quality of the debates was also enhanced by the fact that, during the preparation process, participants had the opportunity to gain deeper insights by taking part in educational webinars. These provided strong arguments and evidence, which the students successfully used in the debates,” said Ineta Drēže, Head of the Debate Center.
“The debate final once again demonstrated how thoughtful and demanding young people are when they are given the opportunity to engage with real societal issues. The debate format requires participants to explore and evaluate different types of information — both those that support wind energy and those that highlight risks and outline its potential negative impacts. This kind of approach is essential both for responsible decision-making and for shaping future society. Seeing their knowledge, argumentation skills, and willingness to discuss complex topics, it is clear that a very strong new generation is growing in Latvia. For us as an industry, this experience helps us step outside the ‘energy sector bubble’ and view wind energy from new perspectives,” emphasized Katrīna Duka-Gulbe, Deputy Executive Director of the Latvian Wind Energy Association.
The debate tournament is part of the “WindUp” project, which aims to promote young people’s understanding of renewable energy, climate change, and sustainable development. As part of the project, young people already have the opportunity to apply for the next activity — the “WindUp” Youth Challenge 2026, which, in cooperation with Novikontas and the Young Physicists School, will offer a practical and dynamic opportunity to explore the wind energy sector from within. More information: https://wea.lv/izaicinajums-jauniesiem/.
The debate tournament is organized by the Debate Center and the Latvian Wind Energy Association within the framework of the “WindUp” project. The project is supported by the Emission Allowance Auctioning Instrument (EAAI), the British Embassy, the Nordic Council of Ministers, and members of the Latvian Wind Energy Association.
