Stage 6. Bielsko Biala - Krakow. Climate policies
With 101 km, the second longest stage of our route has taken us to one of the most beautiful cities in Poland: Krakow. After crossing the Vistula River, we have made our entry to the former capital of Poland, and one of the largest, oldest and most important cities in the country. Krakow is the city of the arts and culture and its historical quarter has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Today´s route has been particularly challenging, with freezing temperatures and even with snow greeting us on our arrival to Krakow. Nevertheless, and despite the difficult conditions and the accumulated fatigue, we have demonstrated that union gives strength. Thanks to team effort everything is possible.
With the stage of today, and a step away from the goal of this trip, we have closed our cycle of debates talking about the “Climate policies” and the ways to reach the objectives of the Paris Agreement. The right policies and the right tools are needed now. Every minute counts. Public authorities should take advantage of all opportunities for action to implementing the Paris Agreement, including new regulations, economic and fiscal instruments, public procurement to boost companies that are more committed to climate, leading by example at their own facilities, education and awareness schemes, etc.
We invite you to know the interesting contributions to this debate, and to the other topics discussed during the route, in the section “Our contribution to Talanoa Dialogue”.
Technology and behavioral changes are needed to bring all transport emissions to zero by 2050 at the very latest. The very few or many vehicles in our roads will need to run on clean electricity. The last vehicle using petrol, diesel or gas in Europe should be sold in the early 2030s.Carlos Calvo Ambel - Transport & Environment
Energy transition is not a future event, it is a feature of today’s decision-making and people’s livelihoods.Elisabeth Press - International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
Governments and business need to switch to low-carbon energy fast. Billions of dollars of government subsidies are still being wasted on fossil fuels, from kerosene to coal, every single year. Governments need to remove subsidies to fossil fuels and invest in a better future. These subsidies send us backwards, and they lock us in a road to nowhere.Laura Merrill - International Institute for Sustainable Development
Biodiversity loss and climate change must be addressed together. Climate change is a major driver of biodiversity loss, while at the same time biodiversity and ecosystems services are vital in fighting climate change.Sonia Castañeda - Ministry for Ecological Transition
Companies are essential players for the decarbonization of the economy, and the electric power sector is one of the main vectors of this evolution. Long-term investments in technologies, such as the digitalization of the electricity system through smart grids and micro grids, will allow the expansion of distributed generation and will positively impact on the reduction of GHG emissions.Solange Maria Pinto Ribeiro - Neoenergia
A new development model more respectful of the ecological limits of the Earth is needed. Policy measures and carbon pricing should be introduced to steer individuals, community groups and the private sector towards a low-carbon future.Jacopo Tattini - International Energy Agency (IEA)