By Jaden Chiang

Photo by Kiara Worth “Adaptation Ambition” on Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

The United Nations’ global climate change conference has officially wrapped up. Here’s the breakdown on what you need to know.

What is COP26?

The 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) is an international summit, bringing together countries from all around the world to accelerate action and reach an agreement on how to tackle climate change. It took place from October 31st to November 12th in Glasgow, Scotland, and was hosted by the United Kingdom. 

What is the importance of this “COP”?

At the meeting, countries in attendance are given the opportunity to update and collaborate on plans to reduce emissions in the presence of fellow world leaders. A large focus at this year’s COP is to revisit and materialize the 1.5 degrees celsius goal from the Paris Agreement in 2015 (COP21), which is the degree level scientists theorize is required to avoid climate catastrophe. In addition, many believe COP26 to be the world’s last best chance to get runaway climate change under control, according to the UN. The severe threats of climate change are already increasing, as seen in the intensification of storms, wildfires, unpredictable weather, air pollution, the deprivation of nature, and more–all around our globe. 

What did COP26 achieve?

The “Glasgow Climate Pact” was formed, agreed to, and signed by 193 countries, concluding the conference more than a day after it was meant to finish. Last-minute objections were made from China and India, arguing that developed countries should do more, which ultimately altered the final pact with compromises. 

In the end, delegates agreed to reduce the use of coal and fossil fuels, cut down emissions, and promise money for developing nations. Many world leaders left Glasgow feeling inspired and hopeful, including UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, saying he hoped the world would “look back on COP26 in Glasgow as the beginning of the end of climate change.” Critics argue the pact is too vague to make a difference in reducing the temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, and climate activists claim the COP to be a waste of time. 

What do you think?

Another COP in the books, and another global pact made. Do you think this will be a turning point in the world’s pathway to reducing emissions and veering off the climate change road to destruction? Or was this conference simply a waste of formality and international flights, considering the past history with our politicians? In reality, we cannot sit still and wait for our world leaders to step up to the plate. In order to get the world on track, it is up to each and every person to do their part, especially you. 

Want to learn more about how to help? Below are some suggested readings and sustainable organizations:

→ DecompositionBook for eco-friendly notebooks

→ Grove Collaborative for sustainable home and personal care items

→ NowThis Earth for news focused on human impact on Earth and how to make a difference

→ 4Ocean for apparel that supports ocean clean up 

→ “The Story of More” by Hope Jahren 

→ “How to Give Up Plastic: A Guide to Changing the World, One Plastic Bottle at a Time” by Will McCallum 

Works Cited

Brahic, Catherine. “What Happened at COP26?” The Economist, The Economist Newspaper, 11 Nov. 2021, https://www.economist.com/international/2021/11/11/what-happened-at-cop26.

COP26 Explained. United Nations Climate Change, UK Government, Oct. 2021, https://ukcop26.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/COP26-Explained.pdf.

“Creative Commons License Deed.” Creative Commons – Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic – CC BY-NC-SA 2.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/.

News, Bloomberg. “COP26 Seals Breakthrough Climate Deal after Major Compromises.” Nationalpost, National Post, 13 Nov. 2021, https://nationalpost.com/news/world/cop26-seals-breakthrough-climate-deal-after-major-compromises.

Rincon, Paul. “COP26: New Global Climate Deal Struck in Glasgow.” BBC News, BBC, 14 Nov. 2021, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-59277788.

UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) at the SEC – Glasgow 2021, 26 Oct. 2021, https://ukcop26.org/.

UNclimatechange. “COP26 Day 8 – 8 November 2021.” Flickr, Yahoo!, 8 Nov. 2021, https://www.flickr.com/photos/unfccc/albums/72157720118148558.