Walk. Talk. Act - for climate action

The impact of climate change on our world is now evident to all. Scientists have been warning us about the implications for decades - and now we're seeing them. We should have acted years ago, but we didn't. Every further day without radical action increases the pain we will sustain and the challenge of controlling the climate and its impact on people and planet.

In the run-up to COP27, a mass participation initiative is happening around the world to catalyse climate action by creating an opportunity to learn from each other, build solidarity, and make important connections. Participants are welcome from all countries and across the key stakeholder groups of governments and cities, companies, NGOs, students, faith groups, and friends and family.

Walk2COP27 is an opportunity to get people moving wherever they are - a collaborative 45-day journey where participants can track their distances walked, run, cycled or travelled in a wheelchair and interact with communities of like-minded people. Every kilometre travelled means more trees planted.

"We are delighted to be the tree planting partner, receiving funds from Walk2COP27 to plant trees in Burundi; and the charity partner benefitting from funds raised by participants to continue our vital work around the world," says Lynn Percival of the Jane Goodall Institute.

Walk2COP27 starts on 22nd September 2022. The 45-day virtual journey features 12 locally hosted town hall-hybrid meetings between Glasgow (COP26) and Sharm el-Sheikh (COP27), showcasing how climate change is impacting each location and the solutions that are being deployed. The town halls will be hosted in the 12 countries between the two COP hosts - Scotland and Egypt. The 12 are: Scotland, England, France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt. People can join these gatherings online, or in person.

Participant-led discussions on climate action, spanning the four target outcomes of decarbonisation, resilience, justice and circularity will be hosted on the Clubhouse app between the town hall gatherings.

In the final week of the journey, the voices of all participants will be recorded and synthesised into a proclamation for the COP27 attendees.

Walk2COP27 is led by Sam Baker, working alongside many volunteers and partners joining in this movement, which was shaped by the experience that Sam and others had walking from London to Glasgow for COP26: 'Walk2COP26"'

As Sam says: "I am sitting in South London expecting temperatures above 40 degrees tomorrow, the highest temperatures ever recorded. The climate crisis is now, and it's universal. And yet it still doesn't seem to be a political or socio-economic priority. We all need to do all we can to change that. We hope Walk2COP27 will channel some of the need to act that people feel and contribute to putting, and keeping, climate action at the centre of our lives."

Lynn Percival says: "We are delighted to be working with Sam Baker and his team of volunteers whose passion and dedication are truly inspiring! Like many others, Sam was disappointed at the outcomes of #COP26 but also impressed at the level of public engagement with the need for #climateaction. Determined not to let the momentum slip, he developed Walk2COP27 to keep the conversation going - and to lead to meaningful action."

Yasemin Somuncu, expert in the built environment and climate change, who is part of the working group in Turkey says, "Life on earth faces an existential threat, and this is largely because of our activities. Each of us, as one of the smartest and yet most destructive species on the planet, should ask, "What is valuable? What am I doing wrong? What could I give up to live in harmony with nature?" Walk2COP27 provides us with a great opportunity by contributing to the development of the 'Ecological Citizenship' model, critical to the protection of the environment, and emphasising awareness and participation."

The communities built, discussions held, commitments made, health and wellbeing enhanced, voices raised, and trees planted all make this initiative an opportunity worth joining in the battle against climate change.

Participants can register for free on an app (atlasGO) from the 1st of September, join their team and start to plan for the kick-off on the 22nd of September.

Raise your voice for climate action. Get moving. Walk. Talk. Act. Together we can.

As the African proverb says: When is the best time to plant a tree? Twenty years ago. When is the next best time? Today.

LINKS

Walk2COP27 - www.walk2cop27.com

Jane Goodall Institute - www.thejanegoodallinstitute.com/