The Coalition were thrilled to co-host a day long virtual conference on UK Leadership for Climate and Nature together with Green Alliance.

Green Alliance’s Chris Venables welcomed guests before introducing the first two speakers of the day: Member of the Scottish Parliament Roseanna Cunningham and Leader of the Opposition Sir Keir Starmer.

Cunningham kicked off the speeches by stressing the importance of including voices from the Global south in the conversation around climate change, as they are ‘the least responsible and among the most affected’.

The audience then heard from Leader of the Opposition Sir Keir Starmer, who stressed that tackling the climate emergency will require ‘urgent action, international cooperation and leadership’ from the UK. He went on to urge that as the hosts of COP26, the UK must lead by example on the issue of climate change and protection of nature, in order to build a greener, fairer and more prosperous society for everyone.

“The UK must lead by example on the issue of climate change and protection of nature, in order to build a greener, fairer and more prosperous society for everyone.”

— Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer MP, Leader of the Opposition

We then heard from Charlie Ogilvie, strategy director, COP26 Unit, and Jessie Nicholls, strategic communications manager, European Climate Foundation, on the effect 2020 has had on climate change policy. One important argument raised during the discussion was by Jessie Nicholls on how polling of the UK population showed that although there was still some criticism that climate action should be prioritised by the largest polluters instead of the UK, there was significant support for Britain taking a leading role on this and leading by example. 

Charlie Ogilvie spoke passionately on the importance of building resilience and how we must use COP to solve some of the problems facing the world’s most vulnerable where even a degree in the change in climate has had drastic impacts.

Later in the day, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Minister Lord Zac Goldsmith took to the floor to set out some of the ways in which the UK is leading on the global climate change agenda, citing the government’s commitment to the International Climate Facility (ICF) and the launch of the Global Ocean’s Alliance last year. 

He noted that while the international community was making significant progress on carbon reduction, there was still a long way to go in terms of protecting nature. He also noted that when we abuse the planet, it is the world’s poorest who suffer ‘first and worst’.

Green Alliance’s Belinda Gordon then hosted an in conversation event with the former leader of the Labour party and former Secretary of State for Climate Change Rt Hon Ed Miliband. Miliband started by assuring the audience that the election of Joe Biden ‘opens the door’ to COP26 being a real success, but that there is still a lot of work to do.

He went on to note that the politicians must work with both civil society and the private sector to achieve our goals on climate change — each has a very important role to play.

Finally, when asked how momentum can be maintained after COP26, he replied that we must not see climate change as simply an environmental issue, but as an economic and a social justice issue as well. It must be at the core of all of our domestic and international policy.

Alok Sharma, COP26 President, then said we must make this the most inclusive COP ever. All voices must be heard loud and clear and on an equal footing. “I do believe we are at a vital inflection point where the views of government, business, scientists and civil society are coalescing”.

Alok Sharma said the crisis that we face means we must work together across society – all of us playing our part. This, of course, has to work alongside the work of national governments. 

He said the interests of groups from across society, global north and south should be heard loud and clear. They will be central to preparations for COP and during the COP conference itself. The next 12 months are absolutely critical. We must unleash the full potential of the Paris agreement and we all have our role to play.

“We must unleash the full potential of the Paris agreement. We all have our role to play.”

— Rt Hon Alok Sharma, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy