COP26 is well and truly underway with the first week now complete and with the summit being the new leading talking point, even potentially taking over COVID chat. So what actually is COP26 and what do we know so far?
The UN Climate Change Conference (the official name for climate Conferences of the Parties) has happened every year since 1995. The two-week summits are an important space for stakeholders to discuss the climate crisis on a global level – and this year it’s Glasgow’s turn.
COP26 kicked off on the 31st of November 2021 and will last two weeks until 12th of November 2021, hosted at The Scottish Event Campus (SEC) – the first ever time the summit has been held in the UK.
During the first week, government officials are believed to have discussed technical issues including carbon credits, funding for countries that are more vulnerable to climate change and nature-based solutions that can be implemented.
World leaders have left Glasgow with some important deals agreed but many difficult issues remain on the negotiating table.
COP26’s overall goal is to keep the world on track for 1.5C of warming, which is what scientists say will help us avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change, but we are already at least 1.1C warmer so radical action across all industries is needed immediately.
On current plans, the world is expected to exceed the 1.5C ceiling within decades and to potentially hit 2.7C of warming by the end of the century – scientist say there is simply not enough time for inaction of 1.5C to be achieved, whilst some other scientists believe we have left it far too late.
Last Tuesday, China’s climate delegate, Xie Zhenhuan, said that aiming to limit the temperature rise to 1.5C rather than the 2C target agreed in Paris in 2015 would be “destroying consensus” and called for countries to be pragmatic and now take particular actions.
The Queen has issued a cry to world leaders attending the event, pleading with them to work together for a common cause – to tackle climate change and solve the most insurmountable problems.
During the welcoming reception for presidents and prime ministers, a video message was played from The Queen hoping that they all recognise “the time for words has now moved to the time for action.”
Social media has already had a field day with the various goings on around Glasgow.
A clip of 78-year-old American President, Joe Biden, was caught ‘resting his eyes’ during the opening remarks of the COP26 climate conference on Monday morning which, of course, went viral along with a similar image of Boris Johnson doing the same thing, maskless, and next to national treasure, Sir David Attenborough.
Come on guys, world leaders need to wake up and pay attention to this crisis, not taking the opportunity for a nap.
Greta Thunberg seems to be fitting in nicely with the Glasgow crowds after the 18-year-old climate change activist met hundreds of supporters at Festival Park in Govan, Glasgow on Monday afternoon – the very first day of the COP26 summit.
I was amused to see the video of Greta chanting “you can shove yer climate crisis up yer a***” which the teen reposted on her own social media channel captioning it “When in Scotland…” A chant that we can well and truly say has captured the people of Scotland’s hearts.
Legendary CNN host Wolf Blizter, reporting approximately 50 miles away from the actual conference, was savagely burned on Twitter by Specsavers who rightly pointed out that he ‘Should’ve gone to Glasgow’.
I was disheartened to hear local women have been forced to walk through a dark park whilst a part of Glasgow was cordoned off during an exclusive reception for the climate change event.
Whilst Police Scotland have now issued an apology after numerous complaints – I cannot fathom how nearby residents were left to feel scared and unprotected.
The second week of the summit, which is now ongoing, will cover topics including gender, transport and the practical solutions needed for the world to adapt to climate impacts and, hopefully, we can all work together on saving the climate crisis (and continue to enjoy the lighter side of social media!)
Whisky’s green milestone raises the bar
I discussed last week the damaging effect of climate change on the Scotch whisky production, so I am thrilled that the sector has successfully halved its greenhouse gas emissions since 2008.
This is brilliant news for the industry which has set itself some stringent green targets in recent years, and it’s fitting that one of our most important and well-known exports is doing so well on that front, as Scotland takes the global stage as hosts of the highly anticipated climate change conference.
There has been a real industry-wide push to achieve these objectives, and as well as the use of pioneering new technologies, a collaborative approach and knowledge sharing have been hailed as the key steps behind the success. This joined-up approach is impressive and shows how powerful businesses can be when working together.
As well as being beneficial to the environment, I’m sure this will also go down well with consumers, and the individual brands who are going over and above to meet these targets are sure to succeed as eco-credentials continue to be a key decider for many customers.
It’s encouraging to see that an industry so steeped in tradition can adapt its production methods and transition into new, more sustainable ways of working in order to play their part in the fight against climate change. These distilleries are leading by example, and I think this is a real wake up call to those who are all talk, no action on environmental policies.
I look forward to seeing more of this kind of innovative thinking from those who can use this critical time to view the environmental challenges we’re facing as an opportunity to evolve, rather than a stumbling block.
It Made Me Laugh
While the run up to COP26 has been far from smooth sailing, I must admit I’m thoroughly enjoying seeing Glasgow on the global stage, playing host to visitors from all over the world.
However, as images of the city’s most iconic sights are beamed out across the globe, some of our guests seem to be struggling with the pronunciation of the host city, referring to it as ‘glass cow’ instead. Let’s hope they don’t have to try saying ‘Milngavie’…
Even Joe Biden made the error in his opening speech, driving Glaswegians to take to social media in their droves to complain about the mispronunciation.
There are bigger issues to be resolved at COP26, but maybe one small outcome we can all hope for is that our international neighbours will leave knowing how to correctly pronounce Glasgow.
It Made Me Weep
Following the cancellation of George Square’s Christmas Market, Glasgow’s festive celebrations have suffered another blow as the annual Christmas light switch-on has been pulled for another year.
Critics say this will drive people away from the city centre to visit other areas, like Edinburgh, where the festive attractions are full steam ahead.
This will have a hugely detrimental effect on local businesses who will be relying on increased footfall over this period to make up for the loss of income suffered over the last two years.
I appreciate ongoing restrictions, and COP26 taking over the city, make events harder to plan, but there has been a long time to think about this, and I don’t understand why Glasgow is in this position when winter markets are going ahead in other cities all over the country.
