COP26 HIGHLIGHTS
GCU at COP26
06 GCU hosted a variety of talks and events, featuring expert analysis from across our academic
research community, as part of the COP26 summit in Glasgow. COP refers to Conference of the
Parties, being the 197 nations who agreed to a new United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change.
most accomplished students from
Glasgow, London, and New York
quizzed an expert panel at Glasgow
Science Centre.
The Social Innovation and Climate
Justice event examined how to combat
climate change and injustice through
social innovation and featured
contributions from postgraduate
students, researchers and alumni.
Race to Resilience Hub @ GCU
GCU was host to the COP Resilience
Hub as part of the Race to Resilience
campaign – which aims to create a
step-change in global ambition for
climate resilience. The importance of
climate resilience was underlined by the
exclusive screening of two powerful
documentaries.
Featuring addresses from UN High
Level Champions Nigel Topping from
the UK and Gonzalo Munoz from Chile
the first film, ‘Life on the Frontline’,
shows the devastating effects of
extreme rainfall, rising sea levels and
intense cyclones on the land in
Bangladesh and the East of India, whilst
‘Sustainable Summits: Climate Solutions
from the Top of the World’, vividly
captures first-hand how highland
residents and mountain lovers are
Mobilising Equitable, Just
and Gender Sensitive Climate
Finance
“Protection from many of the effects of
climate change is the unjust birthright
of the rich and privileged”, Dr Mary
Robinson told GCU's first COP26 Green
Zone event.
Hosted by GCU's Centre for Climate
Justice, ‘Mobilising Equitable, Just and
Gender-Sensitive Climate Finance’
featured a keynote address from the
former President of Ireland and took
place in front of a live audience at
Glasgow Science Centre and online.
An expert panel provided insights on
the challenges faced by communities as
they try to access finance and the
success stories of women’s negotiating
skills around accessing climate finance.
Dr Mary Robinson.
Social Innovation and
Climate Justice
“The world is burning and young people
are the planet's only hope”, Nobel
Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus
told GCU’s second COP26 Green Zone
event.
Young people set the agenda at the
session as some of the University's
finding innovative solutions and regional
responses to tackle the climate crisis in
the Hindu Kush Himalayas.
Glasgow schoolgirls trigger
Twitter storm after signing
Climate Charter
Schoolgirls had their voices heard
around the world after creating a
Twitter storm, calling for climate action
by signing Glasgow’s Children and
Young People’s Climate Charter. The
girls hit Twitter to declare: "We are
pledging to undertake actions to
#EngageTheWorldToChange
TheWorld by signing Glasgow’s
Children and Young People’s Climate
Charter. Join with us by sharing this
tweet."
The S3 Glasgow pupils attending the
Girls@COP26 Conference at GCU
signed the Charter aimed at protecting
children and young people from the
impacts of climate change.
Professor Muhammad Yunus.
GCU's Dr Tuleen Boutaleb joins
Glasgow schoolgirls as they sign the
Climate Charter at Girls@COP26 event.