New Delhi: Amid extreme weather events happening around the world, the stage is set for climate talks as representatives from nearly 200 countries are set to meet in Glasgow, Scotland, from October 31 to November 12.
The stakes are high as a United Nations' climate report has recently said that global warming is getting out of control, and the actions of different governments at the COP26 climate change summit will determine how the world will fight this.
US climate envoy John Kerry has said the conference is the "last best hope for the world to get its act together". The summit was supposed to take place in 2020, but got delayed due to the pandemic.
Italy is co-hosting the event along with the United Kingdom.
Over the two weeks, nearly 20,000 delegates will deliberate on how to cut greenhouse gas emissions, trying to resolve differences between them. The aim is to “keep 1.5°C alive” — the target set in the December 2015 Paris Agreement to limit global average temperature rise to 1.5°C over the preindustrial era by 2050. According to experts, climate change will likely reach catastrophic proportions after this point.
It is to be seen how many countries pledge to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
Meanwhile, many of the world’s most powerful leaders have confirmed their attendance in Glasgow, though some have said they would not attend. Here is a list.
Leaders Not Attending COP26
Vladimir Putin: The Russian President will not attend the climate summit in Glasgow, the Kremlin said last week, according to media reports. This is being seen as a blow to the efforts to get world leaders to strike a new deal to stop global temperatures from rising further, BBC reported. It is not known yet if Russia will send someone else to represent it at the summit.
Xi Jinping: The Chinese President is also unlikely to attend COP26. However, according to reports, Xie Zhenhua, the country’s climate envoy, will be there.
Queen Elizabeth II: Britain's Queen has pulled out of the summit being hosted by the UK. Buckingham Palace said doctors have advised rest for her, according to a Reuters report. The palace said she would be delivering her address via a recorded message, and that other members of the Royal Family will be in attendance.
World Leaders To Be Present At Glasgow Summit
Here is a list of some of the world leaders who have confirmed that they will be attending the conference.
- Narendra Modi, Prime Minister, India
- Joe Biden, President, US
- Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall Camilla, UK
- Boris Johnson, Prime Minister, UK
- Mario Draghi, Prime Minister, Italy
- Moon Jae-in, President, South Korea
- Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister, Scotland
- Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister, Canada
- Emmanuel Macron, President, France
- Scott Morrison, Prime Minister, Australia
- Naftali Bennett, Prime Minister, Israel
- Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President, Turkey
- Stefan Löfven, Prime Minister, Sweden
- Guy Parmelin, President, Switzerland
- Muhammadu Buhari, President Nigeria
- Nana Akufo-Addo, President, Ghana
- President Alberto Fernandez (Argentina)
- President Ivan Duque (Colombia)
Famous Faces To Be Seen At COP26
From climate activists to other leaders and celebrities, many known faces will be in Glasgow to take part in the climate conference. Among them are:
Sir David Attenborough: The broadcaster and natural historian will be the COP26 People’s Advocate, who will address world leaders and other attendees at the summit.
Pietro Parolin: The Cardinal Secretary of the State of Vatican City will represent Pope Francis at the summit.
Greta Thunberg: The young climate activist will be joining the world leaders at the conference.
António Guterres: The UN Secretary General will attend the COP26 conference and is expected to follow up on his previous cautions about tackling climate change.
Ursula von der Leyen: She will be in Glasgow in her capacity as President of the European Commission.