The Edit: Week Two of COP26

The Edit

As a long two weeks of negotiations draw to a close at COP26 - what makes agreeing so difficult, and will the agreements made be enough?

2 minute read

Anger. Frustration. Optimism. Ambivalence. These are just some of the complex emotions thick in the air as two long weeks of negotiations at COP26 draw to a close.

One thing is certain: negotiations aren’t easy, and only time will tell whether what is agreed will be enough.

As we all try and stay on top of the latest announcements, we explore what makes the negotiations at COP26 so difficult, why the climate crisis means different things to different cultures, and more.

Here’s what you might have missed this week:

What do scientists want COP26 to achieve? – BBC

What can the world learn from six young indigenous climate activists? Guardian News

What’s happened so far at COP and what needs to happen next? High Level Climate Action Champion Nigel Topping offers his perspective. – Outrage & Optimism

15% of the global car market just committed to zero emissions by 2040 – Fast Company

Researchers at Maastricht University break down the secrets to successful negotiation. – The Beautiful Truth

Listen to cognitive scientist Steven Pinker on rationality and how to debate irrational people – Ways To Change The World

A glance at COP26’s brand identity and what it represents – It’s Nice That

Why China’s climate action is more complex than you might think. Angel Hsu reflects why China’s forthrightness is a sign of progress – New York Times

‘Can’t negotiate the melting point of ice’ – a film by the WWF Arctic Programme

“You can’t just throw money at complex problems. You have to engineer your way through them in this multistakeholder way […] we need more than one solution.”
– Nigel Topping, High Level Climate Action Champion for COP26

^{Image: Findlay / Alamy Stock Photo.}