As COP26 reaches its conclusion, Kate Samuels writes on the importance of intergenerational collaboration in addressing the climate crisis.

Photography: the COP26 Global Day of Action photographed by Virginie Chabrol

By Kate Samuels

As COP26 takes place in Glasgow, a lot of questions are on people’s minds. Will the talks fail? Will big companies be held responsible for their role in climate change? Will this last chance lead to actual change? Or is it too late?

I spoke to people in Glasgow who were not aware that this was the 26th conference of this nature and to those who felt that it might not make much of a difference. As someone who has been involved in many COPs, I understand the hesitancy and disbelief as we watch the announcements and protests unfold. In many ways, the events that take place during the conference reflect the divisions between government and society. People want to be heard, want the government to listen and want to be a part of something bigger.

People are scared. We know that climate anxiety is on the rise. Last year, a survey of child psychiatrists in England highlighted that 57 percent are seeing children and young people distressed about the climate crisis and the state of the environment.

Against this backdrop, climate cafés have been popping up to give people the chance to share their anxieties and support people in coming together in their communities. Scotland’s first one was created in 2015 in Dunkeld and many were set up to coincide with COP26. These are good places to start, but climate cafes alone are not enough to tackle climate change or the anxieties it produces. The only thing that will truly make a difference is individuals, governments, and businesses all working together.

As COP26 is showing, leaders, businesses and people can often work in isolation from both each other and the wider public. We see newspaper stories of young activists gathering south of the Clyde, singing with Greta Thunberg, we see ministers at a VIP dinner in a closed Kelvingrove Art Gallery, we see businesses hosting events, stands and talks in the green zone, but we don’t see them talking together, engaging in true dialogue and breaking out of their comfort zones. If the conference continues in this vein, it might be hard to achieve the lasting and radical change that many of us want.

This is also reflected in how the dynamics between different age groups have been characterized in relation to the climate crisis. While climate activism has often been portrayed as an intergenerational conflict, this could not be further from the truth. We can only make a difference when all generations work together and when both younger and the older people take the time to listen, understand each other and recognise their role in climate change.

It can be very convenient for us to blame each other, but in reality everyone has a different level of power, privilege and money. This is why our focus must shift to fighting climate change intergenerationally and within our communities. Take some time during COP26 to join intergenerational climate events and ask yourself whether you take the time to listen to the voices of different generations.