“Ride the Change” from S.Wales to London to hand COP baton over to Egypt

21 / 07 / 2022

By Marwa Nassar - -

A group of cyclists championing climate action will “Ride the Change” from South Wales to London, arriving in early November to hand the COP baton over to Egypt ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27).

Last year’s “Ride the Change” to COP26, from London to Glasgow, was a big success. Some 175 riders completed the 500 mile cycle, raising 5,574 pledges.

Building on this success, cyclists are doing it again in 2022. A group of bike-loving climate champions and influencers are to join the ride, using the trip to raise action and awareness around positive climate solutions.

Starting in Port Talbort, Wales, around 200 riders will cycle to London, via projects, businesses and organizations aligned with the Glasgow Breakthrough Agenda; gathering messages, uncovering stories and collecting demands from communities across England and Wales, to give to national policymakers to take to COP27, Egypt on November 5.

Objectives of “Ride the Change” :

“Ride the Change” aims at empowering a community of climate champions by equipping the riders with the tools they need to drive substantial changes within their communities and workplaces, through three key elements of the ride.

The three key elements include experiencing first-hand the impact that the riders can inspire through asking people for support through simple climate action pledges – things like cycling to work, wasting less food, or switching banks.

They also include educating and informing people about climate projects and solutions across the country, through a series of talks, films, and shared meals each evening of the ride, as well as pit stops on route.

The last element is connecting them to a community of people who share a passion for climate action, building strong relationships through the shared experience of the ride.

“Ride the Change” also aims to influence policy makers in the UK and at COP27 by sharing powerful impact stories, data, and lessons from the ride through targeted PR and social media. Some such policy makers may even join legs of the cycle itself, experiencing the impact and energy first hand.

“Ride to COP27” in June:

This will be the second cycling event to promote for COP27 as Ali Abdo, an Egyptian sustainability and environmental activist campaigning for greater development of electric vehicles, launched on the World Environment Day – on June 5 – “The Ride to COP27”.

The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) aired a special LIVE broadcast of Ali Abdo’s electric motorcycle tour in Egyptian cities among five key events marking the World Environment Day 2022.

By touring Egypt on an electric motorbike, Abdo sought to document the impacts of Climate Change on the region, and hoped to accelerate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) aired a special LIVE broadcast of Ali Abdo’s electric motorcycle tour in Egyptian cities among five key events marking the World Environment Day 2022.

Abdo rode his electric motorcycle through Egyptian cities around the River Nile to meet students and government officials and deliver talks focused on the impacts of the climate crisis.

Ali Abdo holds the Guinness World Record for greatest distance on an electric motorcycle in 24 hours: 919.87 km in 2021.

Abdo holds 3 World Records, including having travelled the greatest distance on an electric motorbike in 24 hours.

Organizing such cycling events to propagate for COP27 will contribute to changing people’s culture to use bikes and encourage them to adopt eco-friendly attitudes to protect the planet.