How you can support climate justice at COP26
by Tess Humble, Mobilisation Officer, COP26 Coalition
COP26 comes to Glasgow in 4 weeks’ time. Delegates from around the world will discuss commitments to international climate action, which will shape how safe our futures are in Scotland and around the world.
This is a historic moment for Glasgow. But there is little conversation about how serious the talks are and about the climate impacts facing communities across Glasgow, Scotland and the world, especially marginalised groups- if that is those less well off, who are affected by job insecurity, youth, migrants, people of colour or people with disabilities.
The COP26 Coalition - a network of trade unions, land workers, faith, youth, anti-racist, migrant and disability groups, and other key constituents - is working hard to make sure the voices of the most marginalised from Scotland to the Global South are heard.
We need the communities of Glasgow to support us to make this possible - please join us to bring climate justice to COP26!
See below for a list of ways that you can support climate justice at COP. We also ask you to share this email widely with your networks to spread the word across the communities of Glasgow - thank you!
Please email if you have any queries or would like us to talk to your group about climate justice and COP26 - glasgow@cop26coalition.org
1 - Join our Global Day of Action on Nov 6th and bring your community!
2 - Host an activist from UK/overseas - we desperately need more hosts!
3 - Volunteer for climate justice during COP
4 - Outreach and engagement - Talks, flyers + Glasgow Local Group
5 - Create a Banner for Climate Justice to welcome leaders on 1st Nov
1 - Join our Global Day of Action on Nov 6th and bring your community!
You can find all the details on the family-friendly march here, which we are closely liaising with the police and council on.
This COP will be some of the most unequal UN climate talks ever due to globally unequal covid vaccine access and the UK's immigration system. The saving grace is that Glasgow has a history of standing in solidarity! Spread the word within your community, your workspace, with your friends - it is up to all of us to fill the streets and have our voices heard at these critical climate talks!
The march will be made up of different blocs. These blocs are organised by each community and we ask everyone to get involved in bringing their own messages, banners, music and people to each bloc! We can put you in contact with the bloc organisers or talk about other ways to get involved.
List of blocs: Indigenous; Anti-Racist / Migrant Justice; Communities bloc; Youth; Trade Unions; Faith and belief Bloc; Farmers and Land Workers; Biodiversity & Nature; Housing; Health Bloc, Climate Justice; Independence; Extinction Rebellion; Cycling Bloc & Sustainable Transport
2 - Host an activist from UK/overseas during COP26
Many non-UK-based activists will never be able to pay the costs of hotels or Airbnb in the city, which is a massive barrier to people coming from the Global South. We currently have a waiting list of 2,000+ activists who have nowhere to stay in Glasgow and many are thinking of not coming because of the lack of accommodation.
We desperately need more hosts in Glasgow to accommodate activists from across the world! Sign-up to our Homestay Network to help!
3 - Volunteer for climate justice during COP
We have many roles that need filling asap from stewarding to wellbeing to make sure our activities during COP are safe, accessible and smooth!
We need to recruit 1,000+ people and it would be wonderful to have as many of our volunteers from Glasgow as possible. Our training is already underway so if you are interested, please sign up asap. Please see what volunteering opportunities we have here.
4 - Outreach and engagement - talks, flyers + Glasgow Local Group
We are very happy to talk at your events or to your community about the COP and how to get involved! It would be wonderful if you shared the attached flyers with your networks. We can also provide you with printed flyers to share with your community.
You can also join our informal weekly meet-up on Wednesdays at 5pm to discuss engaging Glasgow communities with COP26 and climate justice. Every second week we meet in person for a social. You can also help us with outreach even if you can’t join the meetings - just send us an email.
5 - Create a Banner for Climate Justice to welcome leaders on 1st Nov
What better way to welcome leaders to town on the first day of the Leaders Summit (Mon 1st Nov) than by filling the city with messages from the people of Glasgow?!
If you don’t want to take part in the demo on Nov 6th or would like other ways to involve your school, faith group or community group - or would like to make a banner by yourself! - this can be a perfect opportunity to engage with the COP and send your message to the world. We will send a pack out on this shortly.
But we invite you to start prepping, thinking about ideas and talking to your groups about this now!