World leaders gathered in Glasgow on Monday for the opening of the critical 12-day United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP26) and delivered from the global stage.
Leaders, including those from major greenhouse gas emitting countries like the US, Canada, turkey, china , Spain, India, and more, spoke on Days 1 and 2 of the summit, including remarks on emissions reductions and funding for UN climate financing initiatives.
The highly anticipated conference comes on the heels of the two-day Group of 20 (G20) Summit which took place in Rome over the weekend, where leaders fell short on climate commitments.
The gravity of the climate crisis is being focused by climate activists from around the world who have descended on Scotland for the conference. Advocates taking to the streets to demand immediate action included Greta Thunberg, Indigenous group Minga Indígena, environmental movement Extinction Rebelion, and scores of protestors from both developed and developing countries.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson kicked off the conference’s opening ceremony where he spoke on the importance of reducing global emissions. Likening the crisis to a “doomsday device”, Johnson delivered remarks on listening to science and the impact of a temperature increase on the global food supply and extreme weather.