Special Report 2021
COP26 Glasgow 2021 and Race to Zero
The aim of this report is to provide our readers with up-to-date information and facts about COP26, the climate conference that will take place in Glasgow from November 1 to 12. In addition, we put a topic on the table, closely related to COP26, such as the Race to Zero.
What do we know about Glasgow?
The name Glasgow comes from Gaelic and means “dear green place”
The city of Glasgow in pictures
What happened at the closest COPs?
COP-25 Madrid 2019
COP-26 Glasgow 2020
COP-26 Glasgow 2021
And now… COP26 Glasgow 2021
COP26 will take place in the Scottish city of Glasgow, between November 1 and 12, 2021, and not in 2020 as planned. Its postponement was due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This change of date was agreed between the UN and the Governments of the United Kingdom and Italy, which are in charge of its organization.
The goal as always is focused on the advancement and revision of the Paris Agreement, especially in keeping the temperature goal close to 1.5 ° C.
To ensure success, all countries need to commit to net zero emissions as soon as possible and to make significant additional cuts by 2030. Helping societies and economies adapt to climate change, particularly the most vulnerable, is essential. Finally, the opportunity of rapidly falling costs for renewables and energy storage must be seized. More information on the UN page ONU.
Race to Zero: Momentum is building in the #RaceToZero ahead of #COP26
El UK to chair COP26, in partnership with Italy
This year Italy will host a series of preparatory meetings leading up to COP26. These include the Youth Summit and the Pre-COP. Both events will take place in the industrial city of Milan.
The two countries have promised to reach net zero emissions by2050 and accelerate the transition to low-emission vehicles.
For more information go to The Uk-Italy Partnership, ONU.
The Youth Summit in Milán – September 28-30, 2021
About 400 young people between 18 and 29 years old will meet in this Italian city to elaborate proposals on topics related to the negotiation process of Pre-COP26 in Milan and COP26 in Glasgow.
The first two days will be dedicated to the working groups, while the last day to a discussion between the young delegates and the Ministers attending the Pre-COP26.
For more information you can contact The Youth Summit.
Pre-COP September 30 – October 02 in Milan, Italy
Pre-COPs are annual preparatory meetings that take place about thirty days before each COP. This year it will be up to the city of Milan to carry out this event.
The purpose of the meeting is “to provide a group of countries with an informal setting to discuss and exchange views on some key political aspects of the negotiations and to offer political guidance for subsequent negotiations”. As the page is read in the page Pre-COP Milán of The United Nation.
The COP26 and the Race to Zero
What is the Race to Zero?
On June 5, 2020, World Environment Day, the UN made the “Race to Zero” or Race to Zero official. It is a global campaign to mobilize the leadership and support of banks, companies, cities, regions and investors “for a healthy, resilient and carbon-free recovery that creates jobs, unlocks inclusive and sustainable growth and reduces the risk of future shocks”, according to the UNFCCC.
It is intended to incentivize named actors to form a coalition of leaders with their feet in the “real economy”, in order to reach zero net emissions by 2050, or earlier if possible. This initiative “will be essential to deal with the complexities of global transformation and promote the high ambition of all stakeholders in the course of a better recovery,” according to the United Nations.
What does COP-26 have to do with the Race to Zero?
The Race to Zero, or Race to Zero, will mark the route to COP26, which will take place between 1 and 12 November 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland. This campaign aims to reformulate innovation and development methods “in support of a more resilient, inclusive and healthy economy after COVID-19. Along with the UK’s COP26 Presidency, Chile’s COP25 Presidency and UN Climate Change, the “UN high-level climate champions for the United Kingdom and Chile Nigel Topping and Gonzalo Muñoz will provide a platform to private sector leaders to make a variety of announcements”, in the words of the UN, during the launch of Race to Zero, on June 5, 2020.
The international organization has also stated that “the objective of the campaign is to give a boost to the decarbonization of the economy before the celebration of COP26, through a resounding message sent jointly by cities, companies, regions and investors to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement and create a more inclusive and resilient economy ”.
The COP26 and the High-Level Climate Champions
Through the COP21, the parties agreed that stronger and more ambitious climate action was required to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. For this, the figure of the “High Level Climate Champion” was created. These “Top-Level Climate Champions” are chosen two each year. One is appointed by the country of the current COP and the other by the COP of the following year. Its role is to facilitate collaboration between governments and cities, regions, companies, and investors who must act on climate change.
To scale up the climate action taking place in 2020 and build momentum around the shift to a decarbonized economy ahead of COP26, the High-Level Champions for Global Climate Action convened the “Race to Zero Dialogues” from 9 to 19 NOV 2020, in collaboration with the Marrakech Association (COP22), for Global Climate Action, as part of the Race to Zero campaign.
Gonzalo Muñoz for Chile (COP25)
“Mr. Gonzalo Muñoz is a business entrepreneur and social change-maker at the forefront of environmental innovation in Chile, who reinvented the country’s recycling industry to usher in a future without waste. He did so by founding a recycling company in 2009 and, ever since, has been presiding over the expansion of the company to other parts of Latin America. His company produces a recycling station capable of recycling 90 percent of household solid waste. Through the popularity of his innovation, Muñoz has been leading a cultural movement to advance environmental sustainability and social inclusion.” According to UNFCCC.
Nigel Topping for the United Kingdom (COP26)
“Mr. Nigel Topping was the CEO of We Mean Business until December 2019, where he drove radical collaboration for climate action among NGOs working with the world’s most influential businesses. This coalition played a key role in bringing the constructive voice of business in support of the Paris Agreement and, under Nigel’s leadership has continued to drive ambition and action to accelerate the transition to a zero carbon economy… Nigel is a commissioner on the Energy Transitions Commission and has been instrumental in the launch of many collaborative initiatives such as Science Based Targets, Business for Nature and the Global Commons Alliance.” According to UNFCCC.
Climate Conferences Center
¿Que sucedió en las COP anteriores a la COP26?
Brief History of the COPs ©
©First published November 2015 – Updated March 2023
Did you know that COPs originated in the Second Earth Summit, Rio de Janeiro 1992?
Here is a summary of the first 25 COPs, with a short summary and analysis of each one.
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