Cop26 programme: Full schedule for this year’s UN climate conference in Glasgow
Summit to unfold over 12 days amid intense pressure on world leaders to walk away with a plan
Cop26, the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties will finally commence in Glasgow, Scotland, at the end of October, a year after it was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Hosted by the UK under the presidency of former business secretary Alok Sharma and in partnership with Italy, the summit at the city’s SEC Centre will bring together the biggest gathering of world leaders ever assembled on British soil over the course of its 12-day run from Sunday 31 October to Friday 12 November.
The Queen, Boris Johnson, Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon and US president Joe Biden will be among the visiting dignitaries, as will Sir David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg, the world’s two most famous climate activists, despite the latter criticising the event and expressing pessimism about its chances of achieving meaningful change.
The 197 signatories, or “parties”, to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change will all be represented in Glasgow, along with tens of thousands of negotiators, government officials, businesses and activists, all hoping to make their voices heard and see a comprehensive plan drawn up to realise the goals of the 2016 Paris Agreement and avert the global climate catastrophe our planet faces.
Here’s the official schedule for Cop26 and which topics will be up for discussion on which days.
Sunday 31 October - Procedural opening of negotiations
Monday and Tuesday 1-2 November - World leaders summit: A two-day event welcoming heads of state and inviting them to put forward their ambitions and proposals towards securing global net zero carbon emissions, keeping the 1.5C temperature increase target within reach, protecting ecosystems and mobilising finance
Wednesday 3 November - Finance: Mobilising public and private finance flows at scale for mitigation and adaptation
Thursday 4 November - Energy: Accelerating the global transition to clean energy
Friday 5 November - Youth and public empowerment: Elevating the voice of young people and demonstrating the critical role of public empowerment and education in climate action
Saturday 6 November - Nature: Ensuring the importance of nature and sustainable land use are part of global action on climate change and a clean, green recovery
Sunday 7 November - Rest day
Monday 8 November - Adaptation, loss and damage: Delivering the practical solutions solutions needed to adapt to climate impact and address loss and damage
Tuesday 9 November - Gender: Progressing gender equality and the full and meaningful participation of women and girls in climate action
Science and innovation: Demonstrating that research and technology can deliver climate solutions to meet, and accelerate, increased ambition
Wednesday 10 November - Transport: Driving the global transition to zero emission transport
Thursday 11 November - Cities, Regions and Built Environment: Advancing action in the places we live, from communities, through to cities and regions
Friday 12 November - Closure of negotiations
12 October 2021
INDEPENDENT