A 62-year-old former Aberystwyth student will be stopping in the town on his mammoth 420-mile cycle, from his home in Pembrokeshire, to the COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow.

Michail Davies will be cycling 65 miles from Mathry to Aberystwyth on 23 October, as part of his eight day journey to the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties, or COP26.

Michail has chosen to take on the challenge, to get to the conference without generating carbon dioxide emissions, but also to engage in conversations with people across the UK about climate change. He is also fundraising for the Wildlife Trust for South and West Wales “to assist their vital conservation work seeking to ensure a more biodiverse Wales to hand on to our children”.

“This COP is the most important since 2015 as countries are supposed to upgrade their commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions to keep the world to a maximum of 1.5C of heating,” Michail said.

“Unfortunately, while the scientists say the world needs to cut its emissions by approximately 50 percent this decade, commitments to date will result in a 16 percent increase and the world is currently on course for a catastrophic almost 3C of heating.

“While the UK has world leading promises on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, many of the policies being followed by UK Government, such as airport expansion, more road building and HS2, actually lead to increases in emissions.

“There is no coherent plan!”

On his decision to make his first stopover in Aberystwyth, Michail said the town “has a very special place in my life”. He completed his undergraduate degree in chemistry, as well as a PhD, at the Aberystwyth University in 1984, and later returned in 2009 to train as a teacher. While he no longer works in schools, Michail still tutors.

The UN has been bringing together almost every country on earth for the global climate summits for nearly three decades. In the run up to COP26, the UK is working with every nation to reach agreement on how to tackle climate change.

World leaders will arrive in Scotland on 31 October, alongside tens of thousands of negotiators, government representatives, businesses and citizens for twelve days of talks.

On his trip, Michail added: “Once in Glasgow I will be volunteering for the COP 26 coalition, ‘a UK-based civil society coalition of groups and individuals mobilising around climate justice during COP26.

“‘Coalition members include environment and development NGOs, trade unions, grassroots community campaigns, faith groups, youth groups, migrant and racial justice networks – to name a few’.

“Climate change is a social justice issue, affecting the world’s poorest and most marginalised people most. These are also the people who are least responsible for the emissions causing the changes to climate. I intend to stay in Glasgow for the duration of the COP.”

Michail said he has “confidence” he can complete the trip after having finished other gruelling challenges, such as cycling to the limiting points of mainland Britain in 2017.