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COP26

Special Coverage of COP26
31 October-12 November 2021 | Glasgow, UK

Amidst a background of rising concern surrounding the impact that man-made climate change is having on the planet, this year’s UN climate conference, COP26, has a particular urgency.
 

This year, the eyes of the world will be on the politicians, Heads of State, and the tens of thousands of businesses, activists, and citizens, who are gathering in the Scottish city of Glasgow to reach agreement on how to tackle a global crisis that many see as an existential threat.

To get the latest UN News articles on the climate crisis, and updates on the big stories from COP26 sent straight to your inbox, subscribe here.

UNIC Bogota/José Ríos

PODCAST: COP26 negotiators ‘roll up their sleeves’ to get a deal

In theory it is the penultimate day of COP26, but this is dependent on negotiators reaching a final agreement, with many thorny details still to be ironed out.

Thursday was also Cities, Regions and Infrastructure day, and our team in Glasgow – Conor Lennon and Laura Quiñones – talk to mayors, activists, and a record-breaking explorer, to get a feel for the progress that is, and isn’t, being made to make cities more liveable and inclusive.

Music: "Within the Earth', Ketsa
 

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22'43"
Burning fossil fuels emits a number of air pollutants that are harmful to both the environment and public health.
Unsplash/Malcolm Lightbody

COP26: Promises ‘ring hollow’ when fossil fuels still receive trillions in subsidies; UN chief calls on negotiators to pick up the pace

Governments need to show the necessary ambition on mitigation, adaptation, and finance in a balanced way, and they can’t settle for the “lowest common denominator”, the UN Secretary-General has said in Glasgow, where crucial climate negotiations are in the final stretch. Meanwhile, a coalition of countries launched a new pledge to end gas and oil extraction, and cities were the theme of the day. 

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22'43"
A zero emission National Express bus outside the SEC at the COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow, Scotland.
UN News/Laura Quiñones

Era free of fossil-fuel powered vehicles comes into focus at COP26; draft outcome is met with calls for more ambition

A world where every car, bus and truck sold is electric and affordable, where shipping vessels use only sustainable fuels, and where planes can run on green hydrogen may sound like a sci-fi movie, but here, at COP26, many governments and businesses said they have started to work to make it a reality.

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20'5"
UN News/Daniel Dickinson

PODCAST: Driving the transition to zero emission vehicles – transport day at COP26

It’s looking more and more likely that electric vehicles will dominate the roads of the most developed countries within the next few decades. But will the Global South become the world’s dumping ground for old, polluting cars?

In today’s episode of The Lid Is On from COP26, Conor Lennon and Laura Quiñones speak to some leading experts from the road, shipping and aviation sectors about sustainable fuels and electrifying transport, and get some of the reactions to the draft COP26 final text, released by the UK presidency on Wednesday morning.
 

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20'5"
Samoan Activist Brianna Fruean shares the podium of the COP26 plenary with Little Amal, a giant puppet representing a Syrian refugee girl.
UN News/Laura Quiñones

Women bear the brunt of the climate crisis, COP26 highlights

Women took the global stage on Tuesday to show that climate change isn’t gender neutral, and that climate action needs them: investing in women and girls creates ripple effects felt throughout entire communities and the frontline knowledge they possess is needed now more than ever, especially as new analysis has revealed that the announcements by world leaders at COP26 still leave our planet on the path to catastrophic global warming. 

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23'50"
Mereani and her children sitting on brick wall of what used to be their home in Fiji. Their house was just a few metres from the shoreline and suffered extensive damage during strong storm surges at the height of Cyclone Winston.
UNICEF/Sokhin

A matter of life or death: At COP26, vulnerable countries tell developed nations it’s time to keep their promise on climate finance

Massive floods, devastating wildfires, and rising seas – along with the countless lives they take and livelihoods they upend – are realities many nations are already facing. Voices from the front lines of climate change and its impacts were centre stage to start week two of COP26, which kicked off Monday in Glasgow with a focus on ‘adaptation, loss and damage’.

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26'49"