Glasgow bidding to host UN climate change conference

Glasgow has been chosen to host next year’s United Nations COP26 climate change conference if the British government’s bid is successful.

The Cabinet Office confirmed last week that the conference would be held at Glasgow’s Scottish Events Campus (SEC).

Up to 30,000 delegates from around the world are expected to attend the conference, including climate experts, business leaders and citizens from across the country.

The conference will also include programmes for young people and make use of the wide range of conference and exhibition spaces at the SEC.

Former energy minister and UK nominee for president of COP26, Claire Perry, said Glasgow ‘is the right choice to showcase the UK’s commitment to the environment’.

‘In 2020, world leaders will come together to discuss how to protect our planet and set the direction for the years to come. Where better to do so than Glasgow, at the state-of-the-art SEC,’ she added.

WWF Scotland director Lang Banks added: ‘The news that Glasgow could host this event is very exciting. This will be a vital milestone in the global response to the growing climate crisis.

The fossil fuel era began in Scotland and in 2020 the global community must come to Glasgow and say that this will be the last fossil fuel generation and that we are ready to take on the climate and nature emergencies we face.

‘This would be a huge event and the Scottish and UK governments must be ready to show that we have our own houses in order and have strong climate emergency plans in place.

Scotland is already generating 75 per cent of its electricity needs from renewables and aiming to end the sale of fossil fuel vehicles by 2032. COP26 in Glasgow would be an opportunity to put our leadership and our zero-carbon economy on the world stage but we also need to put in place more concrete actions at home.’

Photo Credit – Ross Goodman

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