People have recognized and helped climate change for years, and some issues with climate change have started to be resolved. One of these efforts is COPs. Recently, COP26 was held in Glasgow, Scotland. But what really is COP26, and what came out of it? 

What is COP26? 

COP stands for Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. The first COP was held in 1995, and this meeting is also an opportunity for the parties of the 1992 Kyoto Protocall to meet, along with the countries that signed the 2015 Paris Agreement. COP26 was delayed a year because of the pandemic but recently happened this year. ¹

Goals of COP26 this year 

There were 4 goals of this year’s COP. They were: 

1. Secure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach 
2. Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats
3. Mobilise finance 
4. Work together to deliver 

If you want to find out more about these goals, click the following link! COP26 Goals – UN Climate Change Conference 

What Came Out of COP26? 

Many beneficial resolutions came out of COP26. COP26 made a promise to get closer to reaching the goal of 1.5 degrees Celcius by 9% by the time it’s 2030. Countries came together to stop retrieving oil from Earth. The U.S and China agreed to cut down on emissions. ² New pledges were made to reduce methane gas pollution, deforestation, and coal financing.³

But who actually attended this meeting? Who did something there? President Joe Biden and many other foreign prime ministers and presidents attended the global meeting. ⁴Vinisha Umashankar, a 14-year old girl from India came to COP26, as well. She talked about how she is going to protect the environment and encourages people to join her and help her make the future world a cleaner place for everyone. Watch her speech here! Vinisha Umashankar | World Leaders Summit #COP26 

COP26 is just one example of how our climate is getting better and better, bit by bit. If we all focus on this problem and realize what the solutions to climate change are and what we can do to help, someday Earth will be much greener again.

Image: Komori, Masaaki. white-and-pink flowers photo. 2018. Unsplash, https://unsplash.com/photos/NoXUQ54pDac

1.  What is COP? Key facts and terms at climate summit explained
2.  COP26 summit nears conclusion after surprise U.S.-China pledge to tackle climate change
3.  UN COP26 climate summit: what was accomplished?
4. Who is attending COP26? Full participants’ list and which countries aren’t going to the Glasgow climate summit