19 October 2022

President takes part in climate relay

Krško, 19 October - The Running Out of Time relay received a very warm welcome when the baton and support crew crossed the border from Italy to the Goriška region of Slovenia, where they was welcomed by Uroš Brežan, Minister of the Environment.

President Borut Pahor took part in the Running Out of Time climate relay in Krško on Wednesday to support young people who are urging world leaders to take action and tackle climate change ahead of the COP27 conference in Egypt. President Pahor stressed that we must take action, each one of us in their own way, and make all the necessary steps to preserve the planet and nature.

"I would like to apologise to you on behalf of your parents, on my behalf and on behalf of our grandparents, who were unable to take care of the planet sufficiently. To a great extent, this responsibility has now been transferred to your shoulders. As much as we can, all of us together – still in your youth – we will now try to do everything necessary for you to enjoy a peaceful and safe planet," President Pahor said.

The Slovenian Eco School programme - members of the relay's principal partners, Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) - joined the mass international climate initiative of young people. More than 150 eco schools, kindergartens and faculties with more than 32,000 young people participated in the project.

The climate relay started its journey at the end of September in Glasgow, Scotland. Under the slogan, 'Running Out of Time – RooT 2022', the relay will take young runners, cyclists and sailors on a 7,767-kilometre-long journey through 18 countries in 40 days to finish in Egypt, where young people will hand over the relay baton with their messages to the decision makers at COP27. The message carried inside the relay baton being passed from person to person is that "quality climate education is critical if we are to equip people of all ages with the knowledge and skills necessary to build a future in which all can thrive."