The UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow on the 1st – 12th of November 2021, after being delayed 12 months due to the COVID pandemic.
However, the pandemic may have actually had one positive outcome. It has demonstrated the urgency of responding to unexpected shocks and the scale of change needed to mitigate the detrimental effects of climate change.
Unfortunately, the current trajectory of global emissions is on track to increase global average temperatures by more than 2°C and possibly as much as 4°C, far exceeding the targets set out in the Paris agreement.
COP26 brings a real opportunity for the UK to show global leadership in addressing issues surrounding climate change, bringing together stakeholders from climate experts to campaigners to agree on coordinated action to tackle climate change across countries.
COP26 will act as leverage for nations to take collective action and implement more ambitious targets, as well as provide a space to discuss the role of carbon offsetting.