At COP27, President Pahor visits the organisers of the Running Out of Time Baton Relay calling for climate education

The President of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, is attending the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference – COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt. President Pahor is representing Slovenia in the high-level segment attended by numerous world leaders at the invitation of the host country.

On the second day of his attendance at COP27, President Pahor visited the organisers of the Running Out of Time Baton Relay, a global relay run with support by UNESCO.

The longest non-stop relay started on 30 September in Glasgow, Scotland, which hosted COP26 last year, and journeyed 7,767 kilometres through 18 countries, including Slovenia, to Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt.

President Pahor was the honorary sponsor of the climate run in Slovenia and he also attended it on 19 October, as he ran with the pupils of Leskovec pri Krškem Primary School. The Slovenian President was the only president who ran together with the youth on the climate run and the organisers greeted him particularly graciously today. He supported the youth’s message carried inside the relay baton that was passed between young runners, cyclists and sailors and which stated 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.

At today’s event, when President Pahor met again the runners who ran with him in Krško, he stressed that the question of resolving the climate crisis was a question of life and death for future generations and that it is our joint responsibility to seek and reach this solution.

Today, as part of his attendance at the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference, the President of the Republic participated in a round table on climate change education, organised by the Czech Republic, as the country currently holding the Presidency of the EU Council, together with Romania.


Photo: Matjaž Klemenc/UPRS

Speech by President Pahor in English (Spoken word applies!):

Education, formal and informal, is an overlooked element of climate policy.

Awareness of climate change is unfortunately still too low and often overshadowed by so-called ‘alternative views'.

Climate change education is a life-long learning process.

In Slovenia, we have taken important steps in the last couple of years.

We are developing climate-training programs for teachers.

NGOs involved in the development of shorter supplementary programs of climate education for students at all levels of education.

We also focus on awareness raising among wider population about energy efficiency.

More cooperation is needed on international level.

We are particularly interested in exchanging best practices in the field of curriculum development in formal education, and skills development training in non-formal adult education.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Before coming to Egypt, I joined Slovenian children in our part the run from Glasgow to Sharm El Sheikh - the biggest climate change relay, within the international awareness raising programme.

Together with members of my Standing Committee for Climate Policy, all excellent experts on their field, we formally supported the initiative of the Climate Relay and issued a special Recommendation, calling on Slovene Parliament and Government to support the cause and join in.

Earlier Today I attended the final Baton Relay ceremony.

I was reminded once more why are we here today and for whom.

To ensure our children and their children have a safe, healthy and beautiful future to grow up and develop all of their talents.

Thus, we welcome and support the proposal to raise the topic of climate education to the highest level and that it becomes a part of school curricula as well.