What happened at Cop26 – DAY ONE at a glance

Summary of the main developments on kick-off day of the UN climate summit in Glasgow.

The main things that happened on day one of the Cop26 climate conference in Glasgow included:

Chaotic scenes as the world descended on Glasgow

The day started off with a popular British pastime: queueing. About 2,000 delegates and journalists were kept in large crowds queueing outside the conference centre, with Guardian reporters noting there seemed to have been a lack of planning, as no attempt was made to encourage people to queue rather than simply press forward.

Boris Johnson channels spirit of James Bond

Johnson drew an analogy between a ticking bomb that Bond must defuse in a film and the situation humanity finds itself in with the climate crisis.

It’s one minute to midnight on the doomsday clock and we need to act now. If we don’t get serious about climate change today, it will be too late for our children to get serious about it tomorrow.

Climate optimism an illusion, warns UN chief

There was less optimism from the UN secretary general, António Guterres, who dismissed the suggestion that the climate situation was improving, and exhorted the more than 120 national leaders present to “choose to safeguard our future and save humanity” instead of continuing with the addiction to fossil fuels.

David Attenborough says be ‘motivated by hope not fear’

David Attenborough called in his speech at the conference for a new industrial revolution powered by millions of sustainable innovations. Looking directly at world leaders in the audience, he also urged them to work together.

In my lifetime, I have witnessed a terrible decline. In yours, you could and should witness a wonderful recovery.

Biden apologises for Trump quitting Paris agreement

Biden attempted to reassert America’s credibility at the UN climate talks by apologising for the behaviour of his predecessor. “We will demonstrate to the world the United States is not only back at the table but hopefully leading by the power of our example,” he said, adding: “I know it hasn’t been the case, which is why my administration is working overtime to show our climate commitment is action not words.”

Xi Jinping no-show and no significant climate pledges

China’s president, Xi Jinping, called for developed countries to “provide support to help developing countries do better” in dealing with the climate crisis, in a written statement that failed to make any new significant pledges. Xi, along with Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil and Vladimir Putin of Russia, decided not to appear in person at the summit.

India to target net zero emissions by 2070

Advertisement

The most positive news came late in the day, with Narendra Modi’s pledge that his country will meet a target of net zero emissions by 2070. He also committed to India getting half of its energy from renewable resources by 2030. Modi demanded developed countries make $1tn available as climate finance.

Bolsonaro’s ‘green powerhouse’ speech criticised

While not attending the conference in person, Bolsonaro claimed in a speech on Monday that when it came to fighting climate change, Brazil had always been part of the solution, not the problem. But Amazon forest defenders are urging delegates at Cop26 not to trust the “greenwashing” promises of Bolsonaro’s government.

Johnson to fly back to London – avoiding the train

Finally, it emerged later in the day that Boris Johnson was still channelling James Bond as it was confirmed he would be flying back from the Cop26 climate conference on a private plane rather than getting the train. Johnson flew into Cop26 in Glasgow from Rome after attending the G20 meeting of world leaders. Prince Charles also flew from Rome to Glasgow on a private plane separately from the prime minister.

1 Νovember 2021

The Guardian