COP26 climate summit

For two weeks in early November 2021, all eyes were on Glasgow as the UK hosted the UN climate summit COP26. Governments of practically every country came together to make plans for tackling the climate crisis. 

We saw some steps forward, but the talks fell short of justice for the most vulnerable. To find out more, read our full reflection on COP26, or watch our short video recap below.

Key moments

During the two weeks of COP26, there were loads of climate-themed events in Glasgow, across the UK and all over the world. Here are a few of the key moments that Tearfund was involved in.

COP26 Day of Action – climate marches

On the middle weekend of COP26, we raised our voices to urge world leaders to take urgent action to end the climate crisis. We joined marches in Glasgow, Belfast, Cardiff, London and many other locations around the UK. If you joined us, thanks!

COP26 Church Service

On Sunday 7 November, churches across the UK hosted Tearfund’s COP26 Church Service – a climate-themed service featuring Pete Greig, Carol Ng'ang'a, and Celtic Worship. We joined in prayer and worship for climate justice at this critical moment during the UN climate talks.

The service is still available to watch and download in different video segments. 

Tearfund in the Blue Zone

The Blue Zone is where the key negotiations between world leaders took place. We were in the Blue Zone to engage with leaders, country delegations, and the media to make sure the voices of those most impacted by the climate crisis were heard. Jack Wakefield and Laura Young from our campaigns team gave a video tour of the Blue Zone below. 

Stunts and demonstrations

A visual 'stunt' can be a powerful way of bringing attention to important issues. We collaborated with several other organisations to produce several stunts in the COP26 Blue Zone, including the one shown below. Dressed as bailiffs, people from countries hit hardest by the climate crisis issued a ‘final invoice’ for the $100bn per year in climate finance promised in 2009.