UIC organised on 17 July the third Train to Copenhagen-project meeting for the UIC members in order to update, share experiences and ideas, and to plan and prepare the next steps.
UIC started by updating the participants on the latest updates on the key elements of the general framework of the Train to Copenhagen campaign:
– The Climate Express from Brussels to Copenhagen on the 5th of December
– Cooperation with the United Nations and its Seal the Deal campaign
– Kyoto – Copenhagen-symbolic train journey
– Global rail position paper on climate change
– The Train to Copenhagen web site
Another important aspect of the Train to Copenhagen- campaign are the invitation from UIC to its members to make national versions of the Train to Copenhagen campaign.
In the meeting, UIC members gave an update on their key national actions and progress . Among others, SBB is planning a national Train to Copenhagen-campaign - including a special Train to Copenhagen for the official Swiss delegation to the climate conference.. NS is also planning a national campaign including a night train for the Environment Minister and his delegation. DSB informed the meeting about how it will use its status as the host for the COP 15 event and the cooperation with Train to Copenhagen’s arrival at the main station.
The meeting brainstormed on how this cooperation could be further elaborated and strengthen rail presence and visibility during COP 15.
DSB has established a COP 15 task force which main objective is to focus on the capacity and performance during COP 15.
United Nations – one of the key partner’s of the Train to Copenhagen presented the latest progress of its Seal the Deal campaign and ideas for intensifying the further cooperation. The United Nations will join the campaign and integrate it into it’s global “Seal the Deal” campaign.
United Nations suggested among others to collect Seal the Deal signatures on train stations and invited UIC members join the UNEP Carbon Neutral Network (www.unep.org/climateneutral) to get additional attention and support to the rail sectors’ strong efforts to increase its energy efficiency and reduce its emissions. UIC will support UNEP in providing special criteria for railways.
Siemens presented an extensive list of outreach activities in connection with COP 15, including the possibilities involved in its cooperation with the Train to Copenhagen-project. The cooperation of Siemens and the Train to Copenhagen-project will be clarified within the next weeks.
The next steps will be to elaborate the programme for the activities on board the Climate Express, to refine the criteria for attending the train, and to launch the application process for passengers who want to board the train. The main objective is to attract attention from media and press to the train and the campaign – in the competition with all the thousands of other participants going to COP.
The Train to Copenhagen web site will be further elaborated during August, and all participating UIC members have been asked to share the activities of their national campaign to be promoted through the Train to Copenhagen web site. The Global rail position paper on climate change is in progress, as well
as a special communication folder on the European emissions reduction activities in cooperation with CER.
As support to their national campaigns and activities, all Train to Copenhagen-project participants have now received:
• the Train to Copenhagen design guide
• the Train to Copenhagen graphic elements (logos, electronic signature, …)
• the UNEP seal the deal kit
• the template to fill in for the national campaigns
The public launch of the Train to Copenhagen campaign is foreseen to take place on 16th September.
For more information, please contact: traintocopenhagen at uic.org
or visit www.traintocopenhagen.org
About Seal the Deal
The United Nations (UN) led “Seal the Deal”- campaign aims to galvanize
political will and public support for reaching a comprehensive global climate
agreement in Copenhagen in December.
To do this, the United Nations has launched “Seal the Deal”, a campaign
that encourages people in general, organisations, business players, and decision makers to sign a global petition which will be presented to world leaders. The petition will serve as a reminder that world leaders must negotiate a fair, balanced and effective agreement in Copenhagen, and that they must seal a deal to power green growth, protect our planet and build a more sustainable, prosperous global economy that will benefit all nations and all people.
For more information please visit: www.sealthedeal2009.org
