23 oktober 2021
The Climate Miles: 410 km from Groningen to Rotterdam will be finished today. On to Glasgow!
400 walkers will arrive in Rotterdam later today, marking the end of the Dutch part of the Climate Miles 2021. A total of over 2,000 people have joined along the 410km journey. On Monday, 55 people will continue to Scotland where they will walk another 100 kilometres to the United Nations COP26 climate conference. The initiative is organised by Urgenda, the Dutch NGO that successfully sued the Dutch Government for climate inaction. With only 9 years left to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees and bring our emissions to net zero, Urgenda wants to send a strong message to decision-makers: Let’s accelerate!
Over 450 walkers on day 18 of the Climate Miles
The journey started on 6 October in Groningen's Eemshaven, the green hydrogen city. In 18 days, the journey continued to Rotterdam, with only one day of rest.
During the Climate Miles, the walkers talked with scientists about climate refugees, the melting of the ice caps, and received a climate lecture from the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) on the urgency of climate change. But also to foresters and scientists about the impact of climate change on nature. But even more often they talked to frontrunners and scientists about solutions: what is already happening in construction, how we can accelerate the energy transition, what we can do ourselves, how we can farm and eat differently and what could and should the financial sector do. It is possible to avert further dangerous climate change: the solutions are already there if governments facilitate and encourage it.
On to Glasgow for more climate action
In the run-up to
COP21 in 2015, Urgenda and supporters walked from Utrecht to Paris. In doing so, they drew attention to the action needed to keep the earth liveable for future generations. Six years later and the climate crisis has worsened considerably: in order to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, governments need to agree to take urgent and concrete measures at COP26.
The consequences of global warming are already visible worldwide: if you follow the news, you will see one climate emergency after another. In the Netherlands, recent flooding in Limburg caused extensive damage. Yet the urgency is still not sufficiently recognized and much of politics remains stuck in the mantra of 'feasible and affordable'.
In Scotland: 100 km in 4 days
On Monday 25 October, 55 people will leave by train for Scotland. On Tuesday morning, 9am, the walk will start at Edinburgh station. In four days, the climate walkers will walk via Livingston, Falkirk and Cumbernauld to Glasgow, where they will arrive on Friday 29 at around 3pm. There they will hand over their communal message: let's accelerate.
Urgenda is a Dutch NGO focused on achieving a fast transition towards a sustainable society. In 2015, Urgenda successfully sued the Dutch government for its climate inaction. The case marked the first time that a government was ordered to increase its climate ambition, and inspired a wave of climate litigation around the world.
At theclimatemiles.nl you will find the full day programmes, the routes and addresses, more practical information about the walk and the latest programme updates. There is also a press kit available with national press releases and visual material. This will be kept up-to-date.
NOTE TO EDITORS:
If you would like more information, please contact Hanneke van Ormondt, 06-45756529.
