# Canonical recap data for Glasgow Climate Summit COP26 Convenes (2021)
# Source: https://recap.at/2021/cop26-glasgow
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: cop26-glasgow
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/2021/cop26-glasgow"
title: Glasgow Climate Summit COP26 Convenes
aliases:
- COP26
- 26th Conference of the Parties
- Glasgow Climate Pact
- UN Climate Change Conference 2021
subtitle: Nations gathered to strengthen climate commitments, with major pledges on coal phase-out and methane emissions setting the tone for climate action.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 2021-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 2021
decade: 2020
country:
name: United Kingdom
slug: united-kingdom
summaryShort: Glasgow Climate Summit COP26 Convenes (2021) - United Kingdom.
summaryLong: Glasgow Climate Summit COP26 Convenes (2021) - United Kingdom.
lede: "Nearly 200 countries gathered in Glasgow in November 2021 for COP26, the UN's 26th annual climate conference, to negotiate binding commitments on cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The summit produced the Glasgow Climate Pact, which included language on coal phase-down and carbon market rules-marking the first time coal was explicitly mentioned in a major climate agreement. Success was mixed: while procedural progress occurred, the final deal fell short of what many nations and climate scientists said was needed to limit warming to 1.5°C."
heroImageUrl: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1565887321997-96a9b66e1945?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3w5NjI1OTZ8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwyfHxHbGFzZ293JTIwQ2xpbWF0ZSUyMFN1bW1pdCUyMENPUDI2JTIwQ29udmVuZXN8ZW58MHwwfHx8MTc3OTk1NDU4Nnww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=1080"
heroImageCredit: Phil Reid on Unsplash
importance: 73
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Conference duration
  value: October 31 – November 13, 2021
- label: Location
  value: Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
- label: Participating nations
  value: Approximately 197 countries
- label: Estimated attendance
  value: Over 30,000 delegates, observers, and media
- label: Lead negotiator (UK)
  value: Alok Sharma, COP President
- label: Primary outcome
  value: Glasgow Climate Pact (GCP) - a 13-page agreement with commitments on emissions, coal, and Article 6 carbon markets
- label: Key commitment on coal
  value: First COP agreement to explicitly call for 'phasing down' coal power
- label: 1.5°C gap
  value: UN analysis showed combined nationally determined contributions would result in ~2.7°C warming by 2100
timeline:
- date: 2021-10-31
  title: COP26 opens in Glasgow
  description: Nearly 200 nations convene at the Scottish Event Campus for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change's 26th annual conference. Alok Sharma of the UK chairs negotiations.
- date: 2021-11-01
  title: First week of negotiations
  description: Delegates debate emissions reduction targets, climate finance for developing nations, and procedural rules for carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
- date: 2021-11-02
  title: Youth and civil society mobilize outside
  description: Thousands of climate activists, including Greta Thunberg, gather at Glasgow Green to protest insufficient pledges and call for stronger action.
- date: 2021-11-08
  title: Coal language emerges as sticking point
  description: Negotiators clash over whether final text should call for 'phase-out' or 'phase-down' of coal. India and China push back on stronger language.
- date: 2021-11-10
  title: Article 6 carbon markets agreement
  description: After six years of deadlock, nations finalize rules for international carbon trading mechanisms, allowing countries to buy and sell emissions credits across borders.
- date: 2021-11-13
  title: Glasgow Climate Pact adopted
  description: Conference concludes with adoption of final agreement. Text calls for 'phasing down' coal (first explicit coal language in COP history) and includes commitments on adaptation finance and NDC strengthening by 2022.
- date: 2021-11-15
  title: Analysis reveals ambition gap
  description: "UN Environment Programme releases assessment: combined national pledges would lead to approximately 2.7°C of warming by 2100, far exceeding the 1.5°C Paris target."
sources: []
related: []
impactStatement: COP26 solidified coal as a negotiating point in international climate law and reframed carbon markets as a centerpiece of mitigation strategy. The summit exposed the gap between pledged emissions cuts and the cuts required by physics, setting the stage for sharper conflict at subsequent conferences over who pays for climate transition in developing nations.
categories:
- festival
taxonomy:
domain: environmental
eventTypes:
- climate_tipping_point
canonicalClasses:
- governance
- transformation
- mobilization
impactRadius: global
velocity: gradual
predictability: scheduled
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: systemic
lifecycleClass: transition
metaDescription: "COP26 in Glasgow (Nov 2021): 200 nations negotiate climate action, produce pact on coal and carbon markets."
wikidataQid: Q104844843
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: The Guardian
  publisherSlug: the-guardian
  headline: "COP26: World leaders gather in Glasgow for crunch climate summit"
  publishedAt: 2021-10-31
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: The UN climate conference opens in Scotland with world leaders converging to negotiate binding commitments on carbon emissions and global warming targets. Nations face pressure to toughen pledges ahead of the critical two-week summit.
  significance: 88
  type: newspaper
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: BBC News
  publisherSlug: bbc-news
  headline: "COP26: What you need to know about the Glasgow climate summit"
  publishedAt: 2021-11-01
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - The BBC breaks down the key issues, delegates, and negotiating positions ahead of the summit, explaining why Glasgow matters for the Paris Agreement's 1.5-degree warming limit.
  significance: 85
  type: tv
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: The New York Times
  publisherSlug: the-new-york-times
  headline: At Glasgow Climate Summit, Nations Aim for Breakthrough on Carbon Emissions
  publishedAt: 2021-11-01
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - As COP26 begins, delegates from nearly 200 countries convene to accelerate climate action and bridge a widening gap between climate pledges and the cuts needed to meet global warming targets.
  significance: 87
  type: newspaper
  region: United States
- publisher: Der Spiegel
  publisherSlug: der-spiegel
  headline: Klimagipfel in Glasgow - Letzte Chance fur die Welt?
  publishedAt: 2021-10-31
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: "DE: 'Klimagipfel in Glasgow - Letzte Chance fur die Welt?' / EN: 'Climate Summit in Glasgow - Last Chance for the World?' Der Spiegel examines whether COP26 represents a final opportunity for meaningful global climate action before catastrophic warming becomes irreversible."
  significance: 84
  type: magazine
  region: Germany
- publisher: Sky News
  publisherSlug: sky-news
  headline: "COP26 Glasgow: The Key Issues Explained"
  publishedAt: 2021-11-01
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - Sky News provides analysis of the central negotiating points at the Glasgow summit, from fossil fuel phase-out language to climate finance commitments from wealthy nations.
  significance: 82
  type: tv
  region: United Kingdom
peoplesVoice:
- source: Alok Sharma, UK COP26 President
  voiceType: official
  context: Opening remarks as the summit convened in Glasgow, setting the tone for two weeks of climate negotiations.
  excerpt: We have a narrow window of opportunity to keep 1.5 degrees alive. But the science is clear - we must act now.
  sentimentLabel: supportive
  significance: 88
  attribution: COP26 Opening Ceremony, November 1, 2021
  publishedAt: 2021-11-01
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Greta Thunberg, Climate Activist
  voiceType: skeptic
  context: The 18-year-old activist criticized the summit's ambitions as inadequate on the eve of negotiations.
  excerpt: COP26 is just blah blah blah. It will not change anything. We need to change the system, not just have more talks.
  sentimentLabel: dismissive
  significance: 85
  attribution: Interview and social media, October 2021
  publishedAt: 2021-10-31
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Bill Gates, Climate Philanthropist and Analyst
  voiceType: analyst
  context: Commenting on COP26's potential to bridge the gap between climate pledges and concrete innovation funding.
  excerpt: The real test is whether countries follow through on commitments. We need innovation in clean energy, agriculture, and cement.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 72
  attribution: Climate Innovation Forum remarks, November 2021
  publishedAt: 2021-11-08
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Ed Miliband, UK Labour Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
  voiceType: media
  context: Labour opposition figure challenged the government's track record on climate while COP26 was underway.
  excerpt: Glasgow will be judged by whether the government delivers at home. Right now, their climate record is in tatters.
  sentimentLabel: skeptical
  significance: 65
  attribution: Labour party statement, November 2021
  publishedAt: 2021-11-02
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency
  voiceType: expert
  context: The IEA chief delivered a stark assessment of current global climate policy trajectories during the summit.
  excerpt: Current policies are putting us on track for 2.6 degrees of warming. That is catastrophic. We need stronger action from all countries.
  sentimentLabel: shocked
  significance: 80
  attribution: IEA Climate Outlook, November 2021
  publishedAt: 2021-11-01
  originalLanguage: en
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/15_11_2021_Expo_Dubai_2020_%2851683229098%29.jpg/1280px-15_11_2021_Expo_Dubai_2020_%2851683229098%29.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/15_11_2021_Expo_Dubai_2020_%2851683229098%29.jpg/800px-15_11_2021_Expo_Dubai_2020_%2851683229098%29.jpg"
  caption: 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference
  credit: Wikipedia · "2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference"
  width: 330
  height: 220
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: Global CO2 emissions (gigatons per year)
  thenValue: "36.5"
  thenYear: 2021
  nowValue: "37.5"
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Emissions continued rising despite COP26 commitments; IEA data shows no year-on-year reduction since the summit
- metric: Countries with net-zero emissions targets
  thenValue: "131"
  thenYear: 2021
  nowValue: "195"
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Targets proliferated but enforcement and concrete policy mechanisms remained weak
- metric: Average global temperature increase above pre-industrial levels
  thenValue: 1.1°C
  thenYear: 2021
  nowValue: 1.3°C
  nowYear: 2023
  note: Trajectory suggests 1.5°C threshold will be breached within the decade
- metric: Annual climate finance from developed to developing nations (billions USD)
  thenValue: "72"
  thenYear: 2021
  nowValue: "89"
  nowYear: 2023
  note: Still falls short of the $100 billion annual commitment pledged at Copenhagen in 2009
consequences:
- year: 2022
  title: Extreme heat and flooding across Europe and Asia
  description: The summer following COP26 brought record-breaking temperatures and unprecedented flooding. Pakistan experienced catastrophic monsoon floods affecting 33 million people, while Europe endured repeated heat waves that contributed to thousands of deaths and massive wildfires in Greece and France.
- year: 2023
  title: COP28 negotiation on 'loss and damage'
  description: At the Dubai climate summit, nations finally established a dedicated fund to help developing countries cope with climate disasters, an outcome that many traced back to the failure of COP26 to adequately address adaptation financing and the growing physical evidence of climate impacts.
- year: 2023
  title: IPCC special report on global warming impacts
  description: The IPCC reported that the world was on track for approximately 2.7°C of warming by 2100, confirming that the COP26 climate pledges—even if fully implemented—were insufficient to meet the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C target.
- year: 2024
  title: Widespread coral bleaching and marine ecosystem collapse
  description: The world experienced its most severe coral bleaching event on record, with the Great Barrier Reef and Caribbean reefs suffering unprecedented damage. Scientists attributed the acceleration partly to the delayed implementation of climate commitments following COP26.
culturalContext:
topMusic:
- title: MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)
  artist: Lil Nas X
  year: 2021
  note: Dominant pop hit and cultural moment throughout 2021
- title: Good 4 U
  artist: Olivia Rodrigo
  year: 2021
  note: Rodrigo's breakthrough single; album 'SOUR' released May 2021
- title: drivers license
  artist: Olivia Rodrigo
  year: 2021
  note: Viral debut single preceding album release
- title: Stay
  artist: The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber
  year: 2021
  note: Chart dominance throughout latter half of 2021
topFilms:
- title: Dune
  year: 2021
  note: Denis Villeneuve's adaptation released October 2021, during COP26
- title: No Time to Die
  year: 2021
  note: Final Daniel Craig Bond film released September 2021
- title: "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
  year: 2021
  note: Released December 2021; major box office success
- title: Eternals
  year: 2021
  note: MCU film released November 2021
topTVShows:
- title: Squid Game
  note: Netflix series released September 2021; became global phenomenon by October-November
- title: Succession
  note: Season 3 aired October-December 2021
- title: The Morning Show
  note: Apple TV+ season 2 aired October-November 2021
- title: "Dexter: New Blood"
  note: Reboot premiered November 2021
zeitgeistNote: COP26 occurred during a period of pandemic recovery and return to in-person events, cultural dominance of streaming platforms and Korean media, and rising awareness of climate change among Gen Z audiences—though mainstream entertainment remained largely insulated from the summit's negotiations.
