4,200-kilometre road trip to raise awareness about climate change

• On the threshold of the next United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP23) to be held this year in Bonn in Germany, euro-mediterranean youth took the lead of gathering 80 volunteers from both shores of the Mediterranean who made a trip from Marrakech to Bonn in 20 electric vehicles in order to raise awareness about climate change and how to travel sustainably.
• The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Secretariat today welcomed the group of young people at its headquarters in Barcelona. Tomorrow they will present a smart photovoltaic torch at the UN headquarters in Geneva as a symbol of Euro-Mediterranean young people’s commitment to climate action.

2 November 2017, Barcelona.- Barcelona is the third stage of a youth led trip gathering 80 travelers and their families in electric vehicles to raise awareness about global warming and the need to take action against climate change. The Mediterranean Intelligence & Public Affairs Institute (MIPAI) has arranged this 4,200-km journey from Marrakech, home of COP22, to Bonn, host city of the next COP23, to raise awareness about the importance of sustainable travel and convey their commitment to the fight against climate change. To that end, MIPAI has developed, in partnership with other associations and NGOs in the region, a smart photovoltaic torch called “Light Us”. It will be presented at the United Nations as a symbol of Euro-Mediterranean young people’s commitment to climate action.

The 80 travelers from the region will cross six countries in 20 electric vehicles and stop off in a number of cities before they reach their final destination in Bonn. This is their second journey following the one in 2016 from Paris to Marrakech for COP22.

In conjunction with the United Nations, the Union for the Mediterranean is supporting these committed young people from the region on their mission. On 14 November the UfM Secretariat will host a meeting at COP23 entitled “Young people, the driving force for climate action” where, alongside other measures led by youth associations in the region, MIPAI officials and trip participants will present the “Light Us” torch and initiative. On the same day and also as part of COP23, the UfM Secretariat will unveil a study about the current state of climate action financing in the Euro-Mediterranean region.

The UfM centres its attention on two key areas, namely human development and sustainable development, by promoting regional dialogue and implementing regional cooperation projects.