The government has confirmed Glasgow as the host city of next year’s UN Conference of the Parties (COP26) summit. The Cabinet Office made the announcement on 9 August, with Glasgow’s Scottish Events Campus chosen as the event location.
Claire Perry, former Minister for Energy and Clean Growth and recently named the UK nominated President for COP26 by the Prime Minister, said: “As one of the UK’s most sustainable cities, with a record for hosting high-profile international events, Glasgow is the right choice to showcase the UK’s commitment to the environment.”
Lasting for two weeks at the end of 2020, the government said this will be the largest summit the UK has ever hosted, with up to 200 world leaders expected to attend for the final weekend.
Following the news, Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) Chief Executive Alistair Phillips-Davies said: “Scotland is very much at the heart of the UK’s transition to a net zero future, leading the drive towards investment in new renewable energy and the networks that take it round the country. But we cannot be complacent and much more hard work needs to be done."
He continued: “By hosting the world’s leaders in Glasgow next year for COP26, the UK and Scotland can continue to play their leadership role in driving the actions needed to combat climate change. As a company headquartered in Scotland, we are committed at SSE to helping the UK achieve net zero, make a success of COP26, and we will continue to power that drive towards a global clean energy revolution.