Like many climate hawks, I’ve spent the past several months anticipating COP26 with a healthy mix of hope and dread. Now that the conference is well underway, I’ve decided to write a quick overview and my initial thoughts on the proceedings and beyond.
What is COP26?
COP26 is the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference. The “COP” in COP26 is short for Conference of the Parties. The conference started in Glasgow on October 31, 2021 and will continue through this Friday, November 12.
For basic information on COP26, check out What is COP26 and Why Is It Important (Earther) and/or What Is COP26 and Why Does It Matter? (The Guardian).
Rather than trying to summarize all of the major news stories related to COP26, here’s a list of several of my favorite sites that have been consistently posting excellent news and analysis on the subject.
- Common Dreams (Climate Section)
- Earther (Climate Section)
- Grist (COP26 Section)
- The Guardian (COP26 Section)
- Indigenous Climate Action (Blog)
If I’m missing any of your favorite sites (or sections of sites) with an emphasis on climate justice stories, please let me know. The more, the merrier.
Why does COP26 matter?
COP26 is the last chance that the world’s governments have to “keep 1.5 alive” by negotiating national and international policies that will reduce emissions sufficiently to keep warming below the 1.5°C threshold at the heart of the Paris Agreement. The IPCC released a new climate report in August that underscored the fact that our current emissions trajectory will take us well past the 1.5°C warming threshold with dire consequences for present and future generations.
The governmental representatives and other delegates gathering at COP26 are (allegedly) working to “ratchet up” the ambition of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and other climate policies in order to keep warming below that 1.5°C threshold. Unfortunately, according to the UN Environment Program’s Emissions Gap Report 2021, the latest national climate pledges combined with other mitigation measures are putting the world on track for a global temperature rise of 2.7°C by the end of the century.
And that’s just what happens if all nations meet their pledges! Going into COP26, every one of the world’s leading economy was failing to meet commitments made in the Paris Agreement. Insufficient pledges plus failure to meet those pledges equals climate catastrophe.
As COP26 approaches its official conclusion, some climate hawks are trying to look on the bright side and list some of the good news from COP26. But regardless of how rosy your assessment of the outcomes of COP26 is, it’s clear that COP26 alone won’t be enough to keep warming anywhere near below the 1.5°C threshold.
What’s happening beyond COP26?
Does that mean that it’s time to throw in the towel and accept that we’re doomed?
No!
Thankfully, there’s a lot going on beyond COP26.
The most encouraging part of COP26 for me has been seeing news from what I consider to be the real global climate conference: the countless frontlines activists and organizers gathering in Glasgow and beyond to demand climate justice.
Over 100,000 people marched for climate justice outside of the conference in Glasgow, with the march led by the Indigenous Peoples’ Bloc and supported by youth climate strikers and other frontline groups. Many other people participated in over 300 demonstrations around the world for the Global Day of Action for Climate Justice. Indigenous organizers on the ground in Glasgow and beyond have engaged in many actions for climate justice. People from frontline communities that are most affected by the climate crisis are taking matters into their own hands, organizing resistance to fossil fuel dominance and support for the transition into a more just and ecologically sound society beyond fossil fuels.
We can support and join them in that vital work.
What happens beyond COP26 is up to the people, not governments or corporations. If you’re concerned about the climate crisis, support frontline climate justice groups like the indigenous and youth groups that are taking the lead in the response to COP26. Talk to your friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers about the climate crisis and what role you can play in climate solutions. Find out what’s already going on in your city and state and see what you can do to support new and existing projects in support of climate justice.
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to the climate crisis. But you can develop your own response to the climate crisis that plays to your interests and skills, helps you connect with other people in your community, and supports the work done by frontline climate justice groups.
No single person or organization can put an end to the climate crisis. It’s a crisis that defines our era. Some of the damage that’s already happened can never be undone. But if we work together, there’s still time to avert the worst climate catastrophes and create a society rooted in the principles of environmental and climate justice.
My name is Treesong. I’m a father, author, talk radio host, and Real Life Superhero. Follow me on Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, and Ko-fi for my latest climate fiction releases and superhero adventures. Sign up for my newsletter to receive free climate fiction in your inbox. Check out my bookshop for climate change books, including reading lists for climate fiction, climate nonfiction, and climate poetry!
