After the Pandemic @ COP26

On November 4, 2021, COP26 and Beyond in collaboration with After the Pandemic organized an in-person and online workshop at the University of Strathclyde Student’s Union. This COP26 – UN Climate Change Conference fringe event sought to discuss the key question of what is left to do after the COP26 conference and how the present momentum for climate action can be maintained.

Speakers in this session included William Wilson from COP26 and beyond in Glasgow, Sam Wilson from COP26 and beyond in London, Samuel Chijioke Okorie, POP Youth Mentor and Ambassador for Africa in Nigeria, and Ivan Ransom, POP Sustainability Ambassador and Mentor in Mexico and Kevin Morales Münstermann, Honorary POP Youth Mentor in Mexico. These guests, with inputs from the audience considered the following:

• Whether COP26 succeeds or not, what are the next landmarks in a critical decade for climate action?
• The Energy Transition, a Just Transition for those working in fossil fuel industries, what is going to change current reliance on fossil fuels that is driving the world beyond 1.5°C?
• What is left to do on laws, engineering, skills and jobs?
• How do you engage the whole of society on climate action, and take the public with you?

“I felt so empowered by sharing the virtual space with great speakers and leaders like Samuel Chijioke, Samuel Wilson and Ivan Ransom during the most important and probably decisive conference of the year. It was an honor to represent the POP Movement during COP26 and share my perspective of the Conference of the Parties while William Wilson moderated the questions in a very skillful way. Although it was my first experience in this international conference, I can only assure that it won’t be the last one, and that I will encourage more youth to get involved in these events so that we all pressure our leaders to get things done immediately and make them accountable for their decisions”.

– Kevin Morales Münstermann, Honorary POP Youth Mentor and Co-Founder, Resilience 2020

The short film, “Using the Law to Fix Climate Change” made by Eastside Educational Trust and COP26 and Beyond, with interviews from four leading young climate activists in the UK, Kenya, Nigeria and Australia, was also screened and discussed.

Watch the session