How a pioneering spirit can inspire new climate action

The “first non-stop, round-the-world journey in a green hydrogen-powered aircraft” will takeoff in 2028, when Swiss explorer Bertrand Piccard teams up with engineer, Raphaël Dinelli, to pilot the Climate Impulse, a plane that “will be living proof that we can do better with less” Piccard says.

And it won’t be Piccard’s first rodeo. He piloted the first non-stop balloon flight around-the-world in 1999 with teammate Brian Jones, and in 2016, flew a solar-powered plane the same way, this time with André Borschberg.

“I want to restore hope and encourage action, to spark a global movement, to give hope, showcase solutions and bring the pioneer spirit to the forefront of climate action,” Piccard said.

Piccard, former United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for the Environment, special advisor to the European Commission, and founder and chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation, has featured many times on these pages, as well as on the Inside Ideas podcast, and we look forward to covering his latest zero emissions adventure.

Follow @ClimateImpulse and #BeTheImpulse on social media for all the latest on this historic bid.