COP27 - Observing from a distance

COP26 revealed the urgency and scale of change required to address the causes and impacts of climate change from scientists and climate activists, and what governments deem politically viable. It also highlighted the clashes between governments from low- and high-income countries and revisited longstanding issues of climate injustice. Read some of our Observers’ write-ups from last year’s COP26 below and If you are interested in submitting an article, please email Sustainability@open.ac.uk

• The Open University hosted a 90-minute series of short reflections on ‘Ancient Knowledge and Modern Thinking: Climate Perspectives in Folk Art’ held in partnership with Glasgow Life. The event featured indigenous artists and experts from the OU and Glasgow Life, exploring connections between culture, citizens, and climate by examining three contrasting works of art from Glasgow Museums’ World Cultures collection.  You can read more about the event and watch the event recording here.

• Good COP, Bad COP? By Leslie Mabon, Lecturer at STEM, Engineering & Innovation
  COP26 negotiations were like a football match that went into extra time. Not everyone was happy, but a global deal to tackle climate change remained intact.

• COP 26 - Final reckoning By Gillian Mawdsley, Associate Lecturer in the Faculty of Business and Law
  Time will tell if the Glasgow Climate Pact was as, Greta Thunberg put it, “BLAH BLAH BLAH” or a stepping-stone to meaningful global progress.

• The last day of COP26 By Stephen Peake, Professor of Climate Change and Energy
  The negotiations may run into the weekend, and however gloomy the press will be, COP26 has taken many steps forward.

• Are local communities heard at COP26? By Sabine Gundel, Associate Lecturer, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
  The Bangladeshi women found their voices on the climate crisis by taking photos of impacts and solutions on smartphones provided to them by the project.

• Mixed feelings By Graeme Smith, Team Manager in Student Recruitment and Support.
  On the train through to Glasgow I sat beside a group of young activists who had taken the day off school to attend the protests. They are angry and rightfully so.

• COP26 – Finance By Dr Clive Mitchell, Associate Lecturer
  Internationally agreed standards are required for both environmental and sustainability disclosures. Transitions must be just.

• Neoliberal nature alive and well By Dr Kate Symons, Lecturer in Global Development
  Nature-based solutions is a really broad term, encompassing ideas like payments for ecosystem services, using nature in climate mitigation and adaptation, along with broader ideas like learning from nature in design and industry.

• Uncomfortable truths By Rosalie Faithfull, Team Assistant, Faculty of Arts and Social Science
  Perhaps when my house is flooded, when my land is stolen, when I have no shoes, no home, no food, perhaps then I’ll wish I’d stayed a little longer and thought a little harder about how to stop history repeating itself.

• Informal stocktaking By David Edwards, Associate Lecturer, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths
  Alok Sharma outlined progress so far, detailing negotiations that have taken place and the ministers charged with specific tasks. Time is running out, he said, urging all parties to work in a spirit of compromise to achieve the best outcomes.