Marianne and Horst Strecker came to Bonn especially because of the “Climate Planet”. "We thought, when such a big event takes place in Germany and it is so close to us, we should not miss it. In this way, we can at least experience a bit of the Cop in person," says the retired couple, describing themselves as environmentally conscious. "We have not been eating meat for years and grow our vegetables ourselves. Of course without chemicals," says the 69-year-old.

The “Climate Planet” was developed by Global Citizen and first exhibited in Aarhus, the European Capital of Culture 2017. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the city of Bonn present the “Climate Planet” in cooperation with The German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), Engagement Global and Global Citizen. Over the next three years, the “Climate Planet” will be on display in 24 European cities.

Through a long tent, visitors reach the entrance to “Climate Planet” where their bags are controlled. Besides the retired couple, there are also students from local high schools who have come to check out the exhibition. Asked how they liked it, one student replies, “Super. And not as boring as our geography lessons.”

BMZ has set up its own school program in cooperation with GIZ, the Danish non-governmental organization Global Citizenship and the City of Bonn. "It is unfortunately completely booked up," says Petra Gohr-Guder of the agency Engagement Global. According to Gohr-Guder, around 5,000 school students from Bonn and the region will have visited the exhibition by the end of the conference, and they will have seen the special show on climate change.

The film about the current state of the earth and the historical development of the climate, is shown on a four-meter globe with a 360° screen. There is also a covered outdoor area with an interactive exhibition. It provides information on the concrete effects of climate change on people's lives and shows examples of how development and climate policy can helper counter these effects.

Simon Straub, who studies political science and is a trainee at GIZ, equips visitors with virtual reality glasses. One can see a film about the island nation of Fiji, which has taken over the presidency of the Cop23 and whose population is extremely affected by climate change. Through the glasses you are virtually there when a resident shows his home which has been destroyed by storm and flooding. He reports that his entire village had to be relocated, because the sea level is steadily rising and the South Pacific is swallowing more and more land. The flooding salt water makes agriculture more difficult.

And suddenly you think you are actually standing on the boat of the Fijian fisherman. "You wavered quite a bit there," says Simon Straub, laughing as he removes the glasses from one virtual reality visitor.

In the afternoons and on weekends, the film screenings are available to all those interested free of charge and without having to sign up. The exhibition is open all day. Further information on the Internet at www.climateplanet.de

Orig. text: Lisa Inhoffen, Translation: ckloep