Day 1 of COP26

The first day of the 2-week event got off to a great start. Sustainable Glasgow has a presence in both the blue and green zones for the duration of COP26. The team had wide-ranging discussions with attendees worldwide, notably from Cairo, Uganda, South Korea and Palau. They were all interested to find out about our sustainability ambitions and the work being undertaken across the city by the partnership.

The team had a fascinating chat with Tom Matthew, who is a UK European Youth Forum Member and represents over 40 million young people from across Europe, and he has already discussed the challenges we face on climate with Boris Johnson and Joe Biden. His message was clear, the time for planning was over. It is now time for action.

The circular economy was a hot topic throughout the day, and our circular economy lead, Colin Hughes, was present at the stand to talk with attendees about the circular economy route map and Glasgow's commitment to transitioning to a circular economy.

Our commitments to tackling the climate emergency and our aim to reach net-zero carbon by 2030 also came up repeatedly, with several attendees interested in the level of investment needed to achieve our goal. The team particularly enjoyed hosting Jassim Al-Fahali, Iraq's Minister for Health and Environment, who shared his countries aim at reducing air pollution and their transition towards solar energy.

The role of arts and culture was also discussed, and the alternative opportunities to help us involve Glaswegian's in the discussion around climate. We have already had great success with the launch of the Sustainable Glasgow landing, and you can find out what's going on at the landing hub here. The Sustainable Glasgow Landing is a vibrant, welcoming space where the climate and social justice movements meet the arts and will run for the duration of the conference.

We would like to thank all of the attendees who visited us today. Their commitment was evident as many of them had travelled from across the UK just for the day, so we appreciate their time to learn more about the partnership's work across the city.

Day 2

Day 2 of COP26 kicked off with a visit from John Kydd, a resident from Bainbridge Island in Washington state. His city council had recently approved their first-ever Climate Action Plan back in November. He loved the new Sustainable Glasgow brand and how comprehensive Glasgow's Climate Plan is, particularly the use of graphics that are designed to make complex climate topics more accessible. We look forward to keeping in touch with John as he's keen to bring some of Glasgow's climate initiative's to Bainbridge Island.

As much as the team enjoy chatting with delegates from across the world, we've had a lot of interest from Glaswegians! We've had discussions ranging from active travel, low emission zones to the circular economy. Much of the Sustainable Glasgow partnership's focus is looking to how we engage with citizens, so we're delighted that we've had so much interest from residents. This will be crucial to ensuring our transition to net-zero carbon is equal and fair to all—especially those from more vulnerable communities in our city.

You can find more information on what we're doing to engage with residents in Glasgow's Climate Plan and read the recommendations made by Glasgow's Citizens' Assembly here.

Another highlight from day 2 include staff receiving fascinating insight from attendees from the island of Palau, who were representing the Alliance of Climate Resilient Island Societies. They explained that rising sea levels were already impacting their population and reiterated the need for significant action now to protect their islands.

The Sustainable Partnership has also had significant interest from the world's media. Glasgow City Council's Head of Sustainability, Gavin Slater, has been on hand to talk about the partnership's work to media outlets from America, Brazil, and South Korea.

Day 3

Day 3 started with a visit from the leader of Glasgow City Council & Sustainable Glasgow chair, Susan Aitken who joined the team at the blue zone stand.

Our team also had a productive chat with the Commonwealths Human Ecology Council's, Chair, Mark Robinson and trustee, Subbu Loganathan. The CHEC, an international development charity, works to create lasting improvements for local communities across the commonwealth through sustainable solutions. Mark has a fascinating career history, including spells working for the United Nations and has served two terms as a member of parliament.

Away from the stand, our own Dom Callaghan attended an event to discuss how cities will play a vital role in the climate solution through real-time monitoring of air pollutants. The Global Environmental Measurement & Monitoring initiative, which is led by Strathclyde University, is made up of a network of 25 sensors across Glasgow. The data these sensors provide will play a crucial role in supporting the reduction of carbon emissions across the city. You can find out more here.

Out in the city, City Convenor for Sustainability & Carbon Reduction, Anna Richardson was invited to Glendale Primary School with the Lord Provost of Glasgow. The visit was to view solar panels installed by Glasgow Community Energy, a community-owned energy company sourcing clean, renewable energy which supplies the school's energy needs. Any additional energy is then supplied to the grid. It was brilliant to visit the site and see the co-operative getting the recognition and success it deserves while supporting the local community.

Finally, Councillor Richardson visited an event hosted by Walk2COP, a team of 6 who walked 500 miles from London to Glasgow to highlight the power of local climate action. Having hosted eight events over the 26-day journey across the UK, they brought government, local citizens and businesses together to bring the local debate on climate change into focus.

Day 4

The day started with the Assistant Manager of Sustainability at Glasgow City Council, Julie Robertson, presenting Glasgow’s plans to decarbonise heat at a seminar held at the Lighthouse. The presentation was well attended and looked at the innovation and investment required to decarbonise heating in Glasgow’s homes.

At another event in the city, Councillor Christina Cannon took part in a panel discussion to showcase what Glasgow is doing to reduce food waste and consumption-based emissions to tackle climate change. The Relondon event, which is in partnership with the Mayor of London, also looked at food inequality and ways for cities to accelerate the transition to the circular economy to waste less and reuse, repair and recycle more.

Staff also attended a Supergen net-zero energy systems conversation. A good mix of delegates attended, which made for a lively and varied discussion. The event focused on developing an energy system that furthers sustainable power distribution and supply through offshore renewables, solar, energy networks, bioenergy, hydrogen and fuel cells and energy storage.

Day 5

Friday was another varied and exciting day, with our team giving an overview of the partnership's work to the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation from New York, an international humanitarian foundation focussed on collective action on a wide range of topics, including environmental protection and climate change.

Staff on the blue zone stand also had an excellent chat with Sanna Dahaba, Executive Director of Gambia's National Disaster Management Agency. He was keen to open up links between his office and the Sustainable Glasgow partnership to exchange knowledge, ideas and expertise.

Day 6

Staff had another busy day on Saturday, starting with a discussion with the Cultural Sanctuaries Foundation. Based in both the UK & US, they support indigenous communities to protect their land and heritage, helping preserve the natural environment and address climate change. They were interested in Glasgow’s ambition of becoming one of the most sustainable cities in Europe, and the team had a lengthy chat about the key challenges in achieving net-zero carbon.

Another visitor to the stand was interested in Glasgow’s experience and habitat restoration plans and how the city plans to enhance biodiversity.

The team also welcomed Glasgow City Council’s, Director of Neighbourhoods, Regeneration and Sustainability, George Gillespie, who visited the green zone stand to catch up with staff and show his support for the Sustainable Glasgow partnership.

On Saturday evening, Glasgow’s Citizens’ Assembly members attended a Civic Reception hosted by the Lord Provost at the City Chambers. The reception was to thank members for their hard work after presenting their recommendations on how the city should tackle climate change in October.