COP26

Date: 1st November – 12th November 2021

Location: Glasgow

What is COP26?

COP (Conference of the Parties) is the annual UN Climate Change Conference, at which UN representatives and observers meet to discuss a global response to the climate emergency. This was the 26th COP and was jointly hosted by the UK and Italy. COP26 was predicted to attract 30,000 delegates.

COPs are delivered annually and is well known for producing some of the most forward-thinking and collaborative global deals, such as the Paris Climate Agreement which came out of COP21 in 2015. This saw 189 UN member states agree to keep the increase in global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels; and to pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 °C.

This was a huge opportunity for the UK, and the education sector in particular, to show the brilliant work that institutions are doing on the climate agenda. It was also a prime chance to review how educational institutions can do more.

The event was held in Glasgow, a city famed worldwide for sustainable business tourism and home to impressive sustainability ambitions, such as to be the UK’s first carbon neutral city by 2030. Of course, many of the discussions and activity took place in fringe events and campaigns organised by the public and private sector. An exciting time to be in the city of Glasgow!