From 31 October to 12 November, the Government of the United Kingdom hosted, in partnership with Italy, the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the UNFCCC in Glasgow, Scotland.
This year's summit marks the year when countries will update their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to reflect their commitment to reduce emissions in accordance with the Paris Agreement.
World leaders, together with tens of thousands of negotiators, government representatives, businesses and civil society, will focus on a number of issues to address climate change, including:
- Securing global net zero by mid-century and keeping 1.5 degrees Centigrade within reach
- Protecting communities and natural habitats by restoring ecosystems, building defences, putting warning systems in place and making infrastructure and agriculture more resilient
- Delivering on developed countries' commitment to raise $100 billion in climate finance per year
- Finalizing the Paris Rulebook to set rules for implementing the Paris Agreement
Spotlight
Main sessions
On 6 November (12:10-14:10 GMT), Chatham House, the GCRF TRADE Hub, United Nations Environment Programme and Forum on Trade, Environment & the SDGs (TESS) are convening a high-level dialogue at COP26 on how trade and trade policy can support nature-positive climate action and sustainable development. Invited speakers include trade ministers from developed and developing countries, the executive heads of WTO, UNCTAD, ITC and UNEP, and representatives of leading business and civil society organizations.
On 1-13 November, the International Chamber of Commerce is hosting a fully virtual Make Climate Action Everyone’s Business Forum on the sidelines of COP26. The unique, partner-led format will bring together a diverse network of over 10,000 participants from the public and private sectors to align their climate ambitions and actions for the next decade. Together with selected innovative enterprises, ecosystem platforms and organizations working on more social, green and sustainable markets and policies, this event will highlight the fundamental role of small private sector actors in climate mitigation and circular economy.
Side events
On 8 November (09:10-11:00 GMT), GO4SDGs and SEED are hosting a side event to the Make Climate Action Everyone’s Business Forum session. This event deep dives into how small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) can be mobilized to contribute to net zero. Four SEED local enterprises working in waste, energy and agriculture will share their experiences, highlighting drivers and enablers and drawing lessons on how to further improve, replicate and scale up their actions. Five organisations will inform the audience about international and national policies and tools that could further enable and support small-scale enterprises in their contribution to climate mitigation and circular economy.