King’s College London: King’s hosts London symposium for Walk2COP27, the mass participation event on climate action
Across 45 days, people will make the virtual journey from Glasgow (host city for COP26) to Sharm El-Sheikh (host city for COP27) for Walk2COP27 – the mass participation event which brings people together from different countries to inform, educate and connect.
Along the way, there are 12 countries hosting townhall meetings, giving an update on Walk2COP27 and a deep dive on a particular COP27 issue. The London Townhall, co-hosted by King’s Sustainability and King’s Department of Geography, will focus on transport and climate.
As part of King’s commitment to facilitate climate action within and beyond its community, the event will see key government and industry professionals speak on the implications of climate in England and in particular the transportation industry, including what’s needed to achieve decarbonisation, resilience, justice and circularity. Each panelist will bring their own perspective on the challenges England faces.
The event at Science Gallery London will consist of two panels:
The first panel on ‘climate change challenges and responses in England’ with Adam Cormack (The Woodlands Trust), Anna Swaithes (The Crown Estate), Ruth Beddor (Westminster City Council) and Simmone Ahiaku (National Union of Students)
The second panel on ‘climate change and transport in England’ with Rebecca Powell (Transport for London), Hal Stevenson (Lime) and Henry Cawson (Arriva Rail)
Walk2COP27 is a fantastic initiative to engage people in the very real issues surrounding the climate crisis ahead of COP27 in November. It is a great example of how we can bring together and mobilise people from across the world on a key challenge of our time. King’s is proud to be hosting the London townhall, with experts joining us from a range of sectors for rich discussions about what needs to be done to address the climate crisis.”
– Kat Thorne, Director of Sustainability at King’s
Sam Baker, leader of Walk2COP27 said: “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.”
The event also forms part of King’s Department of Geography 100th anniversary celebrations.
“As the Department of Geography celebrates its 100th anniversary, we’re pleased to co-host the London townhall in the lead up to COP27. This townhall is an important opportunity to bring people together to reflect on how England is responding to the biggest climate change challenges and discuss how we can best take action.”
– Kate Schreckenberg, Head of the Department of Geography at King’s