The COP 26 UN Climate Change Conference, hosted by the UK in partnership with Italy, will take place from 31 October to 12 November 2021 in Glasgow, UK.

This historic conference will bring together all signatories to the climate change convention of the UN Climate Change Secretariat. Find out more here.

Education-related events at COP26

GPE is playing an active role behind the scenes to make sure that education is high on the agenda at COP26.

The two-week program can be found online here and registration for the in-person COP26 “Green Zone” is free and available here. A full list of official COP26 side events and exhibits can also be found here.

If you are unable to attend in person, you can join virtually by subscribing to the COP26 YouTube channel. We will also be streaming two high profile climate-related sessions from the recent Global Education Summit on the GPE Youtube channel this November 5^th and 9^th (see below).

Meanwhile, to help you plan your participation, both online and in person, we have outlined some of the key events taking place at COP26 that focus on the importance of gender, climate and education (all times BST - British Summer Time):

3 November

• 10.00-11.30: Gender & Reorganizing Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE): Girls education and climate adaptation action (Global Climate Action event)
• 16.45-18.00: Climate Education and Youth Empowerment: The key to meeting our climate and environmental goals. World leaders and youth voices discuss urgent reasons and benefits for universal access to climate education and outline potential implementation strategies and innovative solutions (including values-based knowledge, skills and traditional practices) and funding options. Organised by EarthDay.org. (Blue Zone)
• 18.30-19.45: Catalyzing communities of future leaders: collaboration, research, and action for a better world (Blue Zone)

4 November

• 19.00-20.00: Education in Climate Policies: Are Countries Making the Grade? (Blue Zone)

5 November

• 11.30-12.30: ClimatEducation Crisis - how the climate crisis is denying children their right to education and what we can do about it (Blue Zone)
• 13:00– 14:00: Teaching for Climate Action: Schools Shaping the Future. The education sector has a unique role to play in building a greener twenty-first century. The OECD, Education International, and UNESCO have launched a joint initiative to gather teaching expertise on what makes a difference in empowering students for climate action. This event seeks to present the initial insights that have emerged and to highlight the potential directions that climate action in education can take going forward. Sign up here to watch online.
• 13.00-14.30: Climate justice, education and gender equality: targeting the connections. Organized by the Malala Fund, UNICEF, UNGEI, YounGo, Plan International, Rise UP Movement, EmpoderaClima. Register here to join the event online (Green Zone)
• 14.30-15.30: Climate Leaders Award and National Education Nature Park (UK Pavilion, Blue Zone)
• 16:00 - 17:30: Together For Tomorrow: Education and Climate Action. UNESCO and youth partners Mock COP and Youth4Climate will lead the way by bringing together Education and Ministers responsible for climate change from around the world. This summit marks an unprecedented opportunity for greater international links between education and the environment ministries, as part of a collective effort to empower citizens to take climate action and create real change. It can be livestreamed on the main COP26 site or attended by those with tickets to the Blue Zone. See here.
• 17:30 – 18:00: Foundations for a Green Future. High-level panel session from the Global Education Summit 2021, organized by GPE and re-streamed on all social media channels. Visit GPE’s Youtube, Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin channels to watch the session live! Speakers include:
  • Angel Warira, GPE Youth Leader
  • Selina Nkoile, GPE Youth Leader
  • Hon. Kitlang Kabua, Minister of Education, Sports & Training, Republic of Marshall Islands
  • Dr. Raji Ambikairajah, Australian Business Leader
  • Jayathma Wickramanayake, United Nations Secretary-General''s Envoy on Youth

7 November

• 11.00-13.00: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and the climate (Green Zone)

9 November

• 13:15—14:45: Global climate education and urgent need for sustainable world. There is no doubt that climate education in schools needs to be updated. The young generation will have to face challenges and opportunities of the climate crisis in their lives. Organized by the UN Global Compact Network Poland
• 16.00-17.00: Our Future, Our Voice: Girls' Education and Tackling the Climate Crisis. Organized by FCDO, CAMFED, Girls Education Challenge Fund (UK Pavilion, Blue Zone)
• 16.45-18.00: Importance of quality education in advancing climate justice and youth leadership. The event platforms youth activists to share their vision for an education that advances climate justice. It will highlight how education is impacted and how transformative education can equip children and youth with adaptive capacities and support their leadership for an equal & sustainable future. Organized by Plan International and Save the Children (Blue Zone)
• 18:00 – 18:30: Tackling climate change through education. High-level panel session from the Global Education Summit 2021, organized by GPE and re-streamed on all social media channels. Visit GPE’s Youtube, Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin channels to watch the session live! Speakers include:
  • Angel Warira, GPE Youth Leader
  • Christina Kwauk, Brookings Institute
  • Shradha Koirala, GPE Youth Leader
  • Suzanne Ehlers, CEO, Malala Fund 
  • Rt. Hon. Alok Sharma MP, COP26 President

10 November

• 15.00-16.15: Scaling Up: Case Studies in Collaborations between Cities and Higher Education Institutions (Blue Zone)

12 November

• 10.00-11.30: Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) and the Clean Energy Transition (Green Zone)