What is COP26?

COP26 gets the green light - 1st November 2021

The 26th annual Climate Change Conference of Parties, COP26, which could be pivotal to avoiding the climate crisis the world is facing, is coming to Glasgow, UK. The yearly convention of world leaders aims to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The conference is being held over 2 weeks starting on October 31st and it could lead to major changes to our everyday lives. Given the pandemic in 2020, the summit was cancelled, which led to climate change protestors taking part in their own mock version.

COP stands for Conference of the Parties and each year they set clear goals to focus on. This year the goals are to secure a global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5C degrees within reach, adapt to protect communities and natural habitats, mobilise finance, and work together to deliver the finalised Paris Rulebook and accelerate action to tackle the climate crisis.

At COP26, 200 countries are being asked for their carbon reduction plans. So as to avoid a climate catastrophe, in 2015, they all signed an accord to implement changes to limit global warming to "well below" 2C above pre-industrial levels and to try to limit temperature increases to 1.5C. This is what's known as the Paris Agreement. It means countries have to continue to make greater cuts to emission levels until reaching 2050's net zero target.

Glasgow plays host to the UK's largest ever summit of over 25,000 participants including heads of state, media personnel and delegates. Tens of thousands of climate activists and enterprises will also attend holding events, networking and protesting, including Extinction Rebellion, who are calling for an immediate end to the use of fossil fuels.

At the end of the conference, a declaration of some description is expected. Each country will be required to sign and agree to specific commitments, some of which will directly affect our daily lives, determining your use of a petrol automobile, whether homes are heated with gas boilers, or restrictions on the number of flights taken.