Words by Smiley Team
On 31 October, leaders from around the world will travel to Glasgow for COP26. More than 190 heads of state and representatives of nearly every country are expected to attend this 26th UN Climate Change Conference. It runs until 12 November 2021, when decision-makers will discuss how to accelerate action towards the goals set out by previous summits.
As host of COP26, British MP Alok Sharma will oversee preparations for the event. “COP26 needs to be decisive," he wrote in a statement. "Whether future generations look back at this time with admiration or despair, depends entirely on our ability to seize this moment. Let’s seize it together.”
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To understand COP, it’s useful to look back through past climate summits to 1995 when world leaders first met to decide how to best combat climate change. This significant gathering helped raise the alarm on climate change internationally.
The first summit was held in Berlin, three years after the launch of the United Nations’ Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which recognised that the climate crisis posed a severe threat to humanity. The UNFCCC is a collective of 197 countries that make up the supreme decision-making body at COP summits.
Since 1995, these parties have met annually to commit to various strategies for tackling climate change.
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Out of all the summits, 2015 was perhaps the most momentous, resulting in the Paris Agreement - a legally binding, international treaty to keep global warming to 1.5℃ and well below 2℃ above preindustrial levels.
Last year’s summit, COP25, took place in Madrid, where negotiators finalised details of the Paris Agreement. At this summit, leaders reinforced the need to immediately start decarbonising the global economy.
This year, COP26 in Glasgow aims to stimulate discussions around how best to accelerate global action to achieve the goals set out by the Paris Agreement.
Three categories of people are able to attend COP26. These are representatives from Parties to the Convention and Observer States, journalists, and representatives of observer organisations.
The 197 parties of the UNFCCC include member countries of the UN and EU, which attends the summit as one block. Representatives from these countries make up the negotiators who will design global strategies to tackle climate change.
Observers don’t have formal roles in the negotiations but are able to occasionally make interventions. These include the United Nations’ agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP); as well as intergovernmental organisations and a wide range of non-governmental organisations.
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Among the notable people attending, Sir David Attenborough was named this year’s COP26 People’s Advocate. This role involves addressing attendees and inspiring action in the run-up to the summit in Glasgow.
Pietro Parolin, Cardinal Secretary of State of Vatican City, is rumoured to be attending and Greta Thunberg is invited. However, the young climate campaigner has voiced concerns about the safety of attending in person during the pandemic.
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