Or for two weeks, when negotiators desperately try to reach an agreement to avoid a climate crisis, the world’s eyes are on Glasgow.
When delegations bargained behind closed doors, activists, several billionaires and this strange superstar were determined to participate.
But apart from the politics, pomp and protests of Cop26, here are some key moments that made the headlines during the talks.
—— Boris Johnson Trying to inject extra urgency into the talks on the first day, telling leaders that climate change has placed the earth “one minute before midnight on the doomsday clock” and comparing them to James Bond who is trying to spread explosives.
– Swedish climate activist Greta Sandberg Warning Cop26 must “stop nonsense”-her words became the slogan of the protesters throughout the meeting.
– Many countries have made major commitments to reduce methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, by 30% from 2020 levels by 2030.
——Amazon founder Jeff Bezos Pledged to provide US$2 billion (£1.47 billion) for land restoration in Africa-twice the amount he originally planned to donate, and commentators have speculated that he increased the donation under the impetus of the Prince of Wales.
– 40 countries have pledged to phase out coal power, including economies that rely mainly on coal such as Chile and Poland.
—— Alok Sharma Trying to turn negotiators into activists, compare the confused representatives to the veteran environmental activist Swampy-the latter is known for taking up trees and tunnels to block infrastructure projects.
– Studies have shown that after a historical decline of 5.4% in 2020, carbon pollution will rebound to pre-pandemic levels in 2021.
—— Barack Obama He criticized the lack of participation of China and Russia, saying that “we can’t let anyone sit on the sidelines” in the climate fight.
– China and the United States, the two largest emitters in the world, announced a “joint statement” on the climate crisis-observers hope this unexpected move will add momentum to the talks.
– Research from the Climate Action Tracker shows that under the current plan, we will face a devastating 2.4C global warming-analysts warn that the target risk is only “a verbal service to actual climate action”.
– Countries led by Denmark and Costa Rica have launched the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance to help phase out fossil fuel production – Only six countries have joined them, but other countries have expressed interest.
– The language about “gradual reduction” of fossil fuels was included in the final version of the coverage agreement-a historic first in climate diplomacy, even though they are the main drivers of global warming.
