Vital negotiations to fulfill the Paris climate agreement were supposed to take place at the UN’S Cop26 in November, but the coronavirus has delayed the climate talks. Activists and participants are not impressed by the lack of progress, especially considering the urgent action needed to limit rising greenhouse gas emissions. At a time where every minute matters, young climate activists are taking matters in their own hands by starting a parallel process to the UN climate crisis talks.
The activists, who are members of Greta Thunberg’s Fridays for Future, are pushing ahead with their own online event this November, called Mock Cop26. As described in the Guardian, the Mock Cop will be run by young climate activists, aiming to get between three and five delegates from as many countries as possible, with a focus on the global south – to contrast with what they see as the dominance of developed countries in the UN negotiations.
The idea is to mimic the format of the real Cop26. That means high-level opening statements by the youth delegates, keynotes and panels by global names, followed by a week of facilitated workshops and regional caucuses. The discussions will be framed around five conference themes: climate justice; education; health and mental health; green jobs; carbon reduction targets.
Ultimately, the goal is to create demands for the achievements they want to see from the real Cop26 next year.
