Ex-climate negotiator hopes for 'miracle' on people's pilgrimage

Armed with Pope Francis's blessing, Filipino Yeb Sano begins 1,500km walk from Rome to Paris where he will arrive before crunch climate change summit

A former international climate negotiator-turned-environmentalist is walking from Rome to Paris, hoping for a "miracle" that will push world leaders to strike a new deal on global warming.

Wearing a pilgrimage T-shirt and a wooden cross hanging from his neck, Yeb Sano could be just another Catholic visitor to St Peter's Square. But his canvas shoes point to another, more pressing purpose than a quick jaunt to the Vatican museums.

"These are the shoes I'm going in on sunny days. When the rains come I have my hiking boots," he said of his well-worn and very sensible footwear. Fresh from a meeting with Pope Francis, Sano appeared energetic and ready to embark on a 930 miles (1,500km) journey to Paris.