GCU announces packed COP26 programme to promote climate justice

Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) has unveiled a packed programme for COP26 to promote climate justice which includes exclusive events with our Chancellor Dr Annie Lennox OBE, Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus and former Irish President Dr Mary Robinson.

During the UN’s climate change summit, GCU will host the World Health Organisation’s COP26 Global Conference on Health and Climate Change, the United Nation’s Race to Resilience Hub and two key events in the official COP26 Green Zone at Glasgow Science Centre involving Dr Robinson and Professor Yunus.

Throughout COP26, which begins on October 31, the Glasgow campus will host daily events for thousands of young people to inspire the next generation to take an active role in protecting the planet.

Glasgow secondary schoolgirls will have their voices heard on gender equality in the fight against climate change at a two-week Girls@COP26 – The Solutions are Feminist event, hosted by Glasgow City Council in partnership with GCU’s Centre for Climate Justice and Women of the World (WOW) foundation.

Young people will also attend a Sustainable Fashion Conference on November 12, organised by COP26 legacy initiative My Climate Path, to highlight emerging career opportunities within the sustainable fashion and manufacturing industries.

GCU will also display a large-scale projection of artist Liz Ogilvie’s ‘Into the Oceanic’ project ocean video footage onto the side of its George Moore building every evening. 

Professor Pamela Gillies, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of GCU, said: “As the University for the Common Good, GCU is at the frontline of helping to tackle the climate emergency.

“The University is strongly committed to supporting the summit’s goals of reducing carbon emissions and tackling climate change.”

The Green Zone at Glasgow Science Centre will bring together young people, indigenous leaders, businesses and grassroots communities who will showcase cultural performances, exhibitions, talks, film screenings and technical demonstrations to a global audience. Most of the events will also be streamed live on the COP26 YouTube channel so people across the world can join in.

GCU’s Centre for Climate Justice will host a special workshop at the Science Centre on November 3 to shine a spotlight on the urgent need for fair and equitable gender-sensitive climate finance.

Dr Robinson will deliver a keynote address at the event, which will seek to promote the practical action and radical change that is required to help the poorest communities, and particularly women and girls, access climate finance to build resilience and reduce their vulnerability to climate-related disasters.

Professor Yunus will join some of GCU’s most outstanding postgraduate students in an inter-generational dialogue to address how to combat climate change and injustice through social innovation, at the second COP26 Green Zone event on November 8.

GCU Chancellor, singer-songwriter and social activist Dr Lennox, Dr Robinson, Professor Yunus, GCU Centre for Climate Justice Director Professor Tahseen Jafry and Met Office chief executive Penny Endersby will feature in an exclusive series of podcasts on the climate emergency to be released ahead of the conference.

Meanwhile, the University will be a support venue for the COP Resilience Hub, which will help businesses, investors, civil society, academia, cities and regions develop sustainable strategies and cope with the impacts of climate change.

As the University for the Common Good, GCU is at the frontline of tackling climate change through our cutting-edge research and education, supporting communities internationally, in Scotland, and in the rest of the UK.  

To find out more about GCU and COP26 click on this link- www.gcu.ac.uk/cop26