Skip to main content

Experiences of a CDE member at COP26

Date

A new post from CDE member Dr Nicole Nisbett. She discusses her experiences at COP26 in Glasgow, which she attended as part of a University of Leeds team engaged in UNFCCC Climate Change Conference, 1-12 November 2021.

COP26 started with a fallen tree on the train tracks which meant that some delegates based in the UK ended up flying to Glasgow as many trains were cancelled. I’m sure the irony was not lost on anyone – not a great start! Embarrassment aside, overall, it was a fantastic learning experience of all aspects of the climate crisis: from the ground-breaking scientific research to the legal fight of recognising ecocide, to the role the media and activists play in encouraging behaviour change. An event in the UK Pavilion suggested the need for more ‘planet placement’ instead of ‘product placement’ in the media to help normalise everyday sustainable choices, just as had been done with smoking indoors and wearing seatbelts.

However, at times the conference felt like an echo chamber of like-minded attendees all recognising the state of the climate emergency and the need to act now. This isn’t necessarily reflective of the wider public for whom COP26 seemed inaccessible, and many have different views on who is responsible for action. The River Clyde (and numerous roadblocks over the bridge) separating the delegate-only Blue Zone and public Green Zone was a strange sort of physical symbolism between those ‘in the know’ and not. Then again, being a delegate didn’t guarantee all-round access as the ever-changing Blue Zone access rules and the temperamental COP26 online platform often decided for itself which events delegates could livestream or not. There also seemed to be a missed opportunity to include more of the public into Green Zone activities, instead of having a large empty car park outside Science Centre.

I was happy to see many official and fringe events led by youth activists and indigenous peoples making the case for further action and accountability from Parties. The official youth constituency of the UNFCCC (YOUNGO) did an amazing job creating their Global Youth Statement, many hours of unpaid work that I hope will be given the attention and recognition it deserves. But sometimes the ‘youth voice’ seemed more tokenistic than genuine, like the popular new trend every organisation wants to be a part of but not really commit to. Women also appeared to dominate leadership positions in the grassroots movements around the world, but were often absent from the top tables, labelling the conference ‘male, pale, and stale’.

There were also criticisms from the local Glaswegians. While riding to the Green Zone one day, an electric-taxi driver complained about the government’s greenwashing of Glasgow to make it appear more sustainable than it actually was. According to him, the electric shuttle buses that transport delegates to and from the conference were brought in especially for COP26, and as the city did not have the charging infrastructure to maintain them they were being charged using a cooking oil generator. Helpfully, each of the 40K conference delegates were given a contactless travelcard for free use of any form of public transport (trains, buses, subways) in Scotland. While waiting for a train one day, a lady told me Glaswegians had been asking for this type of card to avoid needing to buy separate tickets for each mode of transport. She said this would encourage her to use public transport more but was still not available for residents, just conference delegates.

My main takeaway from COP26 and having a chance to reflect, is the focus on governments and corporations responsibility to act rather than placing the pressure on individuals. It’s of course important for us all to do our bit, whether through eating habits, energy use, where we invest our money or how we choose to travel. But if we’re honest, that will be a drop in the ocean and nowhere enough to slow the rate of warming. It’s up to the leaders of countries who spent money on fancy pavilions in the Blue Zone to make good on promises to their citizens and developing countries. As Bajan Prime Minister Mia Mottley asked “When will leaders lead?” At a People’s Summit fringe event I was introduced to the story of Scottish climate activist or the ‘Birdman of Pollock’ Colin Macleod. We know history always repeats itself, whether it’s one man sleeping in a tree in the 90s protesting against building a new motorway or a new generation skipping school to demand real climate action, we have no choice but to be positive and as Colin said, “hold fast, hold fast, hold fast”.

Dr Nicole Nisbett

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Climate Politics

Dr Nisbett tweets at: NicoleDNisbett