Africa-Press – Kenya. Kenyan marathon legend, Eliud Kipchoge, was on Wednesday, October 13 appointed to represent the country as its ambassador in the upcoming high-level United Nations Climate Change Conference(UNCCC).
The appointment was made by the Permanent Secretary for The Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Dr. Chris Kiptoo, via the ministry’s Twitter handle after a discussion that was held in preparation for the conference.
The conference that will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, between October 31 and November 12, is set to be attended by top delegations from member states across the world.
Kipchoge will help drum up support for Kenya’s conservation efforts on mitigating the effects of climate change.
The athlete has been at the forefront in the conservation and restoration of forests, a course that made him adopt 50 hectares of land in Kaptagat forest, a renowned high altitude training ground for athletes in the country.
The appointment complements his role of advocating for environmental conservation over time. He previously maintained that there is a need to conserve the environment for future generations.
“I want those young ones to grow up into healthy adults in a green and breathing world where forests keep our people safe,” Kipchoge stated.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist launched a foundation on September 9 that seeks to champion quality education and conserve the environment by promoting re-afforestation.
He maintained that part of his priority is working with farmers to improve forest cover in the country.
“As a farmer myself, I know about the importance of a good environment, of trees, of using the land sustainably so that people can grow healthy food and plants,” he stated.
His appointment comes at a time when the country, through the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, is in a race to plant 2 billion trees and achieve and maintain a target of over 10% forest cover by the end of this year.
