After the unedifying Parliamentary debacle over the Owen Paterson affair last week, jumping on an uncomfortable sleeper train to Glasgow to spend a couple of days at COP26 was a very welcome escape indeed. As it turned out my first COP was a fascinating and rewarding time as well. And yes, I took the train rather than jet in as many international leaders did.
I trained in from Edinburgh as all the hotels in Edinburgh was full but that in itself was a unique experience. I joined lots of young protesters in a crowded (but mostly masked) carriage adding the finishing touches to some very creative banners as they headed to join the many protests outside the COP26 complex, and a day bunking off school. Some interesting conversations sprung up. Where else could you bring together a couple of primary school children, a professor of ocean studies from California, a Canadian environmentalist, a Mauritanian Government climate negotiator, a couple of indigenous and very smartly dressed women from Ecuador and a Westminster MP all talking about climate change and mostly agreeing?
Inside the vast Blue Zone COP complex, the meetings were no less fascinating and multi-national. Everywhere you went countries and organisations had stands showcasing their contributions to combating climate change, and huddles of delegates from various countries were engaged deep in conversation. In the hall for the main plenary session, I listened to everyone from COP26 President Alok Sharma to climate guru Al Gore, and ministers from micro islands in the frontline of rising ocean levels.
Friday focussed on youth engagement and I brought back some great ideas for our local Eco, Young & Engaged (EYE) Project schoolchildren to take up. As I said in one of my talks, children and young people are 20% of the population in the UK but 100% of the future and anyone who ignores that is a fool.
There has been much criticism that COP26 will turn out to be a damp squib and we are yet to see the final communique but no one can deny the energy (renewable) and determination of everyone there to agree a coordinated and concerted plan to act together to keep the rise in temperature to below 1.5%, otherwise we will all be paying the price. I have posted a short video with a roundup of my trip on my Facebook page, and if anyone wants to talk about it I will eb at the Shoreham Farmer’s Market as usual for my street surgery this Saturday.
