Teen climate activists Anuna De Wever and Adelaïde Charlier will embark on a transatlantic journey on Wednesday aboard a Brazil-bound sailing ship in order to attend a global climate summit.
Some 30 other teen environmental activists from across Europe will join the leaders of Belgium's Youth for Climate movement on their trip, which will see them depart from Amsterdam for a week-long journey.
The initiative, dubbed "Sail to the Cop," was launched to raise awareness about sustainable travel and follows a similar feat by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who in August sailed from Europe to the U.S. on a zero-emissions boat.
The sailboat will raise awareness about global transport methods, Charlier told Het Nieuwsblad.
"The share of aviation will double — that is not a step in the right direction," she said. "This journey is also a symbol of the transition from the old world, based on fossil fuels, to the new world of renewable energy."
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On their way to the COP25, the United Nations' 25th global climate summit, the European activists will make stops in the cities of Casablanca, Tenerife and Cabo Verde.
They will also undertake work shifts aboard the sailing ship and use their travel time to work with a think thank on steps to take for a climate transition, according to the outlet.
Their ship, the Regina Maris, is expected to dock in Recife, Brazil around 7 November. The group is then expected to meet a legendary indigenous leader, Chief Raoni Metuktire, to address the situation in the Amazonian rainforest.
The activists will then travel by land to Chile, to join global leaders at the COP25, which will be held from 2 to 13 December.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
