This page presents outputs from the work of four COP26 Fellowships that are funded by UKRI and were offered through PCAN. The Fellows are embedded in the work of the COP26 Universities Network.

Over the last 12 months, the Fellows have been working to support the objectives of the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 through four unique projects. Their work has examined transparency in climate finance, youth participation, local energy justice and climate governance, offering guidance and perspectives to inform the upcoming negotiations and wider debates post-COP. 

A report, Towards Glasgow: the UKRI Research Fellows COP26 Contribution, outlines three key findings from each Fellow's projects and explores how their work will be invaluable in the weeks to come.

Find out more about the Fellows on their profiles page.

Rebecca Ford

Blog:

• Who's got the power? Energy justice in the transition to net zero (first published for Climate Exp0)

Briefing paper:

• Energy Justice POINTs: Policies to Create a More Sustainable & Fairer Future for All
• Delivering a Just Transition to Net Zero: Whose Role is it Anyway?

Presentations:

• The role of 'local' in delivering a Green Economic Recovery. Policy insights for the UK and beyond (for Climate Exp0, with Meggan Spires, ICLEI; Neil Jennings, Imperial College London; Polly Billington, UK100; Fraser Steward, University of Glasgow)
• Strategies for net zero (for Climate Exp0, with Harriet Thew, University of Leeds; Lucy Martin, EPSRC; Thomas Hale, University of Oxford; Jessica Omukuti, University of York) 
• Aligning Impacts for Getting to Net Zero, University of Strathclyde (Part of Project ALIGN). Watch recording here (passcode: qDK^3DF).

 

Jessica Omukuti 

Blogs:

• The Green Climate Fund is Not Doing Enough to Support Justice Transitions in the Global South (published on The Just Transition Research Collaborative blog)
• Climate adaptation finance is ineffective and must be more transparent (published in The Conversation)
• COP26: billions are being spent tackling climate change – where is it all going? (published in The Conversation)

Presentations:

• Strategies for net zero (for Climate Exp0, with Harriet Thew, University of Leeds; Lucy Martin, EPSRC; Rebecca Ford, University of Strathclyde; Thomas Hale, University of Oxford) 
• Making money go further: Scaling Climate finance through local delivery, University of York. Watch recording here (passcode: Lnw9C?sk).

Paper:

• COP26 as an opportunity to further democratise the Green Climate Fund (The Lancet: Planetary Health, August 2021).

Briefing paper:

• October 2021: COP26 Universities Network Briefing: Triple wins in adaptation, mitigation and development

Videos:

• Young people's guide to COP26
  • Climate finance at COP26
  • What makes a successful climate finance project
  • COP26 basics
  • The implications if COP26 is online
  • The role of climate justice at COPs
  • Addressing different levels of responsibility for climate change
  • Unequal power relations at COPs
  • The definition of climate change adaptation
  • Should COP targets be binding or flexible
  • Advice on campaigning around COP26

Media appearances:

• Climate Finance at COP26 on the BBC World Service
• Counting the Cost of Climate Finance, The Climate Papers podcast by the COP26 Universities Network
• The broken $100-billion promise of climate finance — and how to fix it. Quoted in Nature news feature

 

Harriet Thew

Presentations:

• YES TO NET ZERO: Youth Education, Skills and Training to Operationalise Net Zero, University of Leeds. Watch recording here (passcode: xT+u1cgJ). 
• Strategies for net zero (for Climate Exp0, with Lucy Martin, EPSRC; Rebecca Ford, University of Strathclyde; Thomas Hale, University of Oxford; Jessica Omukuti, University of York) 
• 18.02.21 - RYCA (Regional Youth Climate Assembly) workshop: gave presentation on “What is COP” and ran a workshop on “Climate Change Education and the UNFCCC’s Action for Climate Empowerment.
• 17.04.21 - Ripple Effect workshop 1: co-organised workshop and gave a presentation on “What is COP and how can youth engage with it”
• 02.07.21 – “How can youth engage in climate action” at the University of Leeds’ Social Sciences Summer School
• COP26 
  • 08.11.21 Youth are Leading: The Ripple Effect, COP26 Side Event, “Green Zone” IMAX, Glasgow. Available online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM2ANmS75mY
  • 09.11.21 Communicating for International Impact – Climate Crimes film showcase and panel discussion on communicating climate change, COP26 Side Event, “Green Zone” Planetarium, Glasgow.

Facilitation and workshops:

• 14.04.21 - Facilitated the English Language break-out group in the UNFCCC’s first Expert Group meeting on Action for Climate Empowerment
• 22.04.21 and 23.04.21 – Helped to coordinate the COP26 Student Ambassador Takeover of the University of Leeds’ Instagram
• 24.04.21 - Ripple Effect workshop 2: co-organised workshop, supported and facilitated youth exchange between youth in UK and SA on climate change topics (water, agriculture and transport)
• 10.07.21 - Ripple Effect workshop 3: co-organised workshop, presented on “The Science Bit - What the Social Sciences tell us about Climate Vulnerability and what this means for Youth Voices at COP26”.
• 17.07.21 - Ripple Effect film-making workshop with youth in the UK and South Africa
• 14.08.21 - Ripple Effect film-making workshop with youth in the UK and South Africa
• 18.09.21 - Ripple Effect film-making workshop with youth in the UK and South Africa
• 23.10.21 - Ripple Effect planning workshop for COP26 side event with youth in the UK and South Africa

Policy briefing:

• October 2021: COP26 Research Fellowship Policy Briefing: Youth Participation in UN Climate Change Conferences: Challenges and Opportunities 
• October 2021: COP26 Universities Network Working Paper: Mainstreaming Climate Change Education in UK Higher Education Institutions

Videos:

• Young people's guide to COP26
  • How young people can get involved at COP26
  • The impact that youth can have at COPs
  • Key things to know to help campaign effectively at COP26
  • Non-state actors & what happens at COP
• The Ripple Effect, youth experiences of and perspectives on climate change

Media appearances:

• 01.11.2021 - Al Jazeera - The Stream. What impact will the youth climate movement have on COP26?
• 01.11.2021 - BBC Radio Leeds Breakfast Show interview on COP26
• 01.11.2021 - Global Newsroom radio interview on COP26
• 04.11.2021 - ITV News (Calendar) interview live from COP26
• 27.10.2021 - The Climate Fight Podcast, The Conversation/The Anthill. The Youth Movement Grows Up

 

Thomas Hale

Publications:

• Policy brief for Galvanising the Groundswell of Climate Actions: Advancing African approaches through the Global Climate Action agenda at COP27, June 2021
• Briefing Note on the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action, October 2021
• A vision for the ecosystem of global climate action: Accelerating action for the decisive decade and beyond, October 2021

Policy briefings:

• COP26 briefing note on the renewed Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action, 2021-2025, October 2021
• Taking Stock: A global assessment of net zero targets, March 2021  
• Governing Net Zero: The Conveyor Belt, November 2021

Datasets:

• Ecosystem of sector-based cooperative global climate action (November 2021)
• Net Zero Tracker (October 2021)

Media appearances:

• What the Hale Does this Mean? With Thomas Hale: Net Zero Goals. Outrage and Optimism podcast (March 2021)
• Net zero: despite the greenwash, it’s vital for tackling climate change, The Conversation (May 2021)
• New ‘net zero’ standards could transform the climate — unless they’re derailed. Washington Post (October 2021)
• What the Hale!? Introducing the Net Zero Tracker with Thomas Hale. Outrage and Optimism podcast (October 2021)
• Revealed: Only five G20 countries have clear plans for reaching net zero by 2050. The Big Issue (October 2021)
• BBC Radio 5 Live (October 2021)
• COP26: Why India's 2070 net-zero pledge is better news than it sounds. New Scientist (November 2021)
• The end of the beginning of net zero. Business Green (November 2021)
• A $130T climate promise is greeted with suspicion. Politico (November 2021)
• The World's Top Carbon Emitters Now All Have Net Zero Pledges. Most of Them Are Too Vague. TIME (November 2021)
• COP26: Series of initiatives aims to accelerate the transfer of green technology to the developing world. Science Business (November 2021)
• What agenda will an African champion bring to COP27? The East African (November 2021)
• Britain sets sights on 'net zero' plans five years EARLIER despite warnings it would push the £1trillion bill even higher. Daily Mail (November 2021)
• As More Companies Make Net-Zero Pledges, Some Aren’t as Good as They Sound. TIME (November 2021)

Presentations:

• Strategies for net zero (for Climate Exp0, with Harriet Thew, University of Leeds; Lucy Martin, EPSRC; Rebecca Ford, University of Strathclyde; Jessica Omukuti, University of Strathclyde) 
• “Groundswell” to “All of Society”: How local governments, businesses, and civil society can contribute to the implementation of phase of the Paris Agreement, London School of Economics. Watch recording here (Passcode: hT1?Lmn#).

Workshops:

• A workshop discussing an ecosystem-based approach to strengthening cooperative sector-based climate action across the Latin America and the Caribbean region (July 2021)
• A workshop to highlight the UNFCCC's Global Climate Action Agenda and the role of African climate action for COP27 (July 2021)
• Workshop on the future of climate cooperation in Africa: COP26 to COP27 and beyond (September 2021)
• Strengthening linkages between Asia-Pacific and global cooperative climate actions: a workshop on the future of climate cooperation (October 2021)

 

Stephen Whitfield

Presentation: 

• A Just and Equitable Governance of Agricultural Transformation, Grantham Insitute's Summer Discussion Series, London School of Economics. Watch recording here (Passcode: ATxT^5Js). 

 

News stories

COP26 Fellows' work will inform Glasgow summit

"Towards Glasgow" report highlights COP26 Fellows' contributions