Be the CHANGE

With COP26 now in full swing, the topic of climate change is on everyone’s mind and lips more than ever. This conference brings together around 200 countries and 120 World Leaders to set out their plans to reduce emissions by 2030.

Many announcements are expected to be very technical, including the rules still needed to implement the Paris Agreement (made in 2015) in which they all agreed to make changes to keep global warming "well below" 2C above pre-industrial levels and to try aim for 1.5C so we can avoid a climate catastrophe. It means that countries have to keep making bigger emissions cuts until reaching net zero in 2050.

Other announcements are likely to include:

• Making a faster switch to electric cars

• Speeding up the phasing out of coal power

• Cutting down fewer trees

• Protecting more people from the impacts of climate change, such as funding coastal-defence systems.

But it’s not just up to the Leaders of the World and large global corporations to plan and make these big changes. Each and every one of us can play our part in reducing our own personal carbon footprint and this is one of the reasons that myself and several other ‘Running Mayors’ around the UK and other countries are championing running as a valid form of active travel.

The network of Running Mayors was announced in March 2021 as part of the Runsome campaign in partnership with Runner’s World magazine and Active Things; tasked with advocating for running as an antidote to some of 2021’s toughest challenges -- like taking practical steps to not only reduce their community’s air pollution but also to improve the physical and mental health of the people who live there. The Running Mayors provide a face and a voice to champion running in the place they know and care about, the city or town where they live.