The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, commonly known as COP26, was held in Glasgow, Scotland from October 31 to November 13.
It was the first COP since the 2015 Paris Agreement where nations were expected to update their climate pledges (Nationally Determined Contributions or NDCs).
The summit culminated in the adoption of the Glasgow Climate Pact, a non-legally binding agreement aiming to accelerate climate action. For the first time in COP history, the agreement explicitly mentioned reducing unabated coal power, though the language was softened from "phase out" to "phase down" during negotiations.
Over 100 countries joined the Global Methane Pledge, committing to reduce methane emissions by 30% below 2020 levels by 2030, and according to the World Resources Institute it shown a light on fossil fuels, calling on countries to accelerate “the phase down of unabated coal power and phase-out of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies.”
Many experts highlighted the importance of translating the commitments into concrete action to truly address the climate crisis.