From People Power To A Desperate Plea For Change

The Independent’s climate correspondents Louise Boyle and Daisy Dunne on the defining moments from Cop26

- Louise Boyle and Daisy Dunne

After nearly two years of delays, two weeks of intense negotiations and a few dramatic final minutes, Cop26 is over. The Independent’s climate correspondents, who were on the ground throughout the Glasgow summit, take you through their key moments.

Activists take over Glasgow

The corporate atmosphere at Cop26 could be stifling. But midway through the summit, many delegates abandoned the conference to join around 100,000 people on the streets of Glasgow to call for faster climate action.

In sharp contrast to the Cop26 summit, the protests on the streets were led by young activists from countries that are already keenly feeling the impacts of the climate crisis.

Vanessa Nakate, a climate activist from Uganda, led calls for action on Glasgow Green with a powerful message of hope.

“The words and promises of leaders do not match their actions,” she said. “Leaders continue to build new coal power plants, construct oil pipelines and frack gas without paying attention and listening to the voices crying out for help.

“We remain hopeful because another world is possible. Together, we can make this happen. Strength and hope is our way forward.”

Zoom no more

For many people, Cop26 was the first large, international event that they had attended since the Covid-19 pandemic took hold.

Considering the isolation, lockdowns and health concerns over the past two years, it felt both hopeful and slightly surreal to mingle among thousands of people each day – albeit with masks, the rigmarole of daily Covid testing, and restricted numbers inside certain spaces.