We are excited to see Glasgow as the chosen location for the annual climate summit. COP26 stands for the Conference of Parties, and this will be the 26th year running. By the end of this year, around 30 000 delegates will be expected to visit Glasgow to discuss an international response to the climate emergency. We’ve collected your lowdown on the event and what this will mean here. Follow our page for more information on COP26 and the events surrounding it.
COP26: When and Where
The climate summit will run from November 9th – 20th 2020 at the SEC (Scottish Events Campus). Leading up to and during2 the conference, there will also be events all around the city. The focus will be on sustainable solutions, with especially the Science Centre having a host of events throughout the year. You can follow the events both on the pages of Science Centre Glasgow, as well as on our site and Facebook.
The UK bid for the presidency of COP26 last June, in partnership with Italy who will be hosting events before the conference. Last year COP25 was held in Madrid, Spain. This will be the largest event held in the UK. Glasgow was chosen as it is one of “UK’s most sustainable cities with a great track record for hosting high-profile international events.”
What is COP26?
COP26 is the annual climate summit involving those part of the UNFCC, also called United Nations Climate Change. You might also have heard the events referred to as the United Nations Climate Conference 2020. They serve as the formal meeting for the parties of the UNFCC. From 2011 it was used to discuss the Paris Agreement. This was signed during COP21 in Paris. One of the points from this agreement is to keep the increase in the global average temperature below 2 °C.
COP26 will be a great chance for Glasgow to showcase our climate ambitions and lead the change for a more sustainable future.
Sustainability in Glasgow
Glasgow is one of the most sustainable cities in the UK, with the Sustainable Glasgow council programme running since 2010. It is also the fourth most sustainable city for sustainable business tourism in Europe. This is why the city was chosen for COP26.
Glasgow Leading Attractions is proud to support the efforts of everyone involved in promoting sustainable solutions around the city, and especially within our attractions. Glasgow aims to be the most sustainable city in Europe, and we are proud of our tourist sector being a big part in aiding this effort.
This year we want to give more insight into what goes on backstage at our attractions. We will be publishing blog posts highlighting sustainable efforts within these as well. These will be leading up to COP26, and show why Glasgow is the place to start the decade right in terms of climate politics.
Around 200 world leaders will be expected to attend COP26. We are excited to show them and you what Glasgow’s attractions do to keep our planet safe.