The events will focus on climate change mitigation and adaptation and will aim to demonstrate that the rail sector is a resilient and emissions-efficient transport mode. It is also hoped to show how developing rail services can help individual countries deliver their nationally-determined contributions.

Among the events is a debate in the “Climate train” at Marrakech station, a travelling exhibit organised by Moroccan National Railways (ONCF) and French National Railways (SNCF), which visited 12 cities across Morocco from October 20 to November 5 and highlighted various climatic phenomena, Morocco’s biological resources, and how this might be preserved.

Other events include a transport CEO roundtable on climate change, a joint UIC/International Association of Public Transport (UITP) event entitled “Linking global initiatives to concrete actions on the ground for low carbon,” and a joint International Transport Forum (ITF), UIC, UITP event “Charting pathways to decarbonise transport.”

Events in Morocco follow the signing of the Railway Climate Responsibility Pledge by 70 UIC members representing the majority of the world’s railway activity since COP21 in Paris in December 2015. The document commits the railways to reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption and contribute to global targets to limit climate change.