COP27 climate change relay is coming to campus

A major international relay raising awareness of climate change ahead of COP27 and spanning mountains, deserts and seas is set to pass through the University of Reading.

University academics will help to carry a baton containing a message from young people on climate change in the Running Out of Time relay - a 7,767km journey over 38 days from Glasgow, which hosted the international climate change conference COP26 in 2021, to this year’s conference in Egypt.

To celebrate the arrival of the baton onto campus, University of Reading staff and students will gather at the Atmospheric Observatory on the University’s Whiteknights campus to witness the baton handover there.

Six local schools will be joining in with the event, with youngsters set to watch a weather balloon launch and have a tour of the observational facilities.

Professor Andrew Charlton-Perez, Head of the School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences, who is overseeing the campus handover, said: “Addressing the challenges posed to our planet by the climate and biodiversity crises is central to our purpose as a University and a key part of our strategy.

“Our involvement in this exciting international relay is the latest demonstration of action the University is taking to raise awareness of climate change, following the launch of projects with partners to improve climate education for young people.

“This is also an opportunity for our University community and guests to show their support for climate action as the world’s attention turns to COP27.”

Professor Ed Hawkins, a Reading climate scientist and creator of the climate stripes graphic that has helped to raise awareness of rising temperatures worldwide, will help carry the baton to Whiteknights campus on 7 October.

He will pass the baton to Professor Peter Miskell, a Pro-Vice-Chancellor and professor of international business history, who will take the baton onto St Paul’s Church in Wokingham. Professor Miskell will be joined by Professor Liz Bentley, CEO of the Royal Meteorological Society and Visiting Professor at the University.

Earlier in the Reading leg of the relay route, Florian Pappenberger, Deputy Director General of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), will pass the baton to Sally Waterman, Co-Chair and Communications director at the Reading Hydro Project. She will pass it to Professor Hawkins outside the Reading Hydro project building, which is painted with the climate stripes.

The baton will be carried by runners, cyclists and sailors through a total of 18 countries as it makes it way to Sharm el-Sheik, the host city for COP27, which runs from 6-18 November.

Participants will run by hundreds of schools, at-risk locations and climate change projects to inspire and champion local climate action.

Members of the public can sign up to run sections of the relay alongside the baton-carriers at running-out-of-time.com/route/united-kingdom. Entry costs £15.

The University’s world-leading work on climate science and sustainability and on improving climate education has been recognised by the award of a Queen’s Anniversary Prize and is highlighted on its Partnerning For The Planet website.

The University has also committed to incorporating education on sustainable development across all degree programmes, including through its new Red Sustainable Action Award.