2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference

2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference
Date31 October – 13 November 2021 (2021-10-31 – 2021-11-13)
LocationSEC Centre, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
Coordinates55°51′40″N 04°17′17″W / 55.86111°N 4.28806°W / 55.86111; -4.28806
Also known asCOP26 (UNFCCC)
CMP16 (Kyoto Protocol)
CMA3 (Paris Agreement)
Organised byUnited Kingdom and Italy
PresidentAlok Sharma
Previous event← Madrid 2019
Next event→ Sharm El Sheikh 2022
Websiteukcop26.org Edit this at Wikidata

The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, more commonly referred to as COP26, was the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference, held at the SEC Centre in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom, from 31 October to 13 November 2021. The president of the conference was UK cabinet minister Alok Sharma.[1][2] Delayed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[3] it was the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the third meeting of the parties to the 2015 Paris Agreement (designated CMA1, CMA2, CMA3), and the 16th meeting of the parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP16).

The conference was the first since the Paris Agreement of COP21 that expected parties to make enhanced commitments towards mitigating climate change; the Paris Agreement requires parties to carry out a process colloquially known as the 'ratchet mechanism' every five years to provide improved national pledges.[4] The result of COP26 was the Glasgow Climate Pact, negotiated through consensus of the representatives of the 197 attending parties. Owing to late interventions from India and China that weakened a move to end coal power and fossil fuel subsidies, the conference ended with the adoption of a less stringent resolution than some anticipated.[5][6] Nevertheless, the pact was the first climate deal to explicitly commit to reducing the use of coal. It included wording that encouraged more urgent greenhouse gas emissions cuts and promised more climate finance for developing countries to adapt to climate impacts.[7]

In the midst of the conference, on 6 November 2021, a march against inadequate action at the conference, as well as for other climate change-related issues, became the largest protest in Glasgow since anti-Iraq War marches in 2003.[8] Additional rallies took place in 100 other countries.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference eciu was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "New dates agreed for COP26 United Nations Climate Change Conference" (Press release). UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy; Alok Sharma. 28 May 2020. Archived from the original on 31 May 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  3. ^ Dennis, Brady; Mooney, Chris (1 April 2020). "Amid pandemic, U.N. cancels global climate conference". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2 April 2020. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  4. ^ Fedson, Nick (21 August 2019). "The Importance of COP26". The Energy Compass. Archived from the original on 30 July 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  5. ^ "Cop26 ends in climate agreement despite India watering down coal resolution". The Guardian. 13 November 2021. Archived from the original on 14 November 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  6. ^ Hook, Leslie; Hodgson, Camilla; Pickard, Jim (13 November 2021). "India and China weaken pledge to phase out coal as COP26 ends". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 14 November 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  7. ^ Shasi, Anula (13 November 2021). "COP26 keeps 1.5C alive and finalises Paris Agreement". ukcop26.org. Archived from the original on 13 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference BBC Nov6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).