edie launches Countdown to COP26 Festival of content and events ahead of crucial climate summit

The Festival will run from May through to October

Supported by headline partner O2, the Countdown to COP26 Festival will inform and inspire businesses to seize the opportunity of the crucial UN climate talks which are being held in Glasgow this November.

The Festival will run from May through to October, kicking off with a flagship eponymous virtual event on 20 May.

“In the run-up to COP26, the spotlight is firmly on businesses,” said O2’s chief executive Mark Evans. “All of us need to take substantive steps to prioritise climate action: setting targets, and meeting them.

“As the only mobile network operator to commit to net-zero by 2025, at O2 we’re very proud to be supporting edie’s Countdown to COP26 Festival – and we’re looking forward to joining other sustainability leaders to discuss the foundations for a better future. As we all know, the planet can’t wait.”

The Countdown to COP26 Festival will be built around the five official themes of the COP26 talks: Clean Energy, Climate-based Finance, Clean Transport, Nature-Based Solutions, and Adaptation & Resilience.

Commenting on the Festival’s launch, edie’s content director Luke Nicholls said: “The threats from climate change are now immediate and we must act in proportion to the magnitude of the challenge. The COP26 climate summit represents our opportunity to overcome that challenge and to lead the world into a cleaner, greener future. 

“edie’s Countdown to COP26 Festival is about seizing that opportunity. Our unrivalled content and events programme will unite business leaders, policymakers, investors, and civil society to lay the foundations for a successful climate summit.”

Inaugural Countdown to COP26 event

Registration has opened for the Festival’s first event – Countdown to COP26 – which will take place virtually on Thursday 20 May.

More than 250 business leaders and climate leaders have already signed up for the flagship event, with a stellar speaker line-up including senior representatives from BEIS, ClientEarth, Green Alliance, We Mean Business and the High-Level Champions for Climate Action.

The event will include high-level keynote talks about how governments and businesses can elevate their climate ambition, action and advocacy; interactive panel discussions focused on key COP26 themes across energy, transportation and land use; and unique networking opportunities allowing for new connections and collaborations to be formed in the run-up to the talks.

SECURE YOUR TICKET FOR THE COUNTDOWN TO COP26 EVENT HERE.

Other events

The Countdown to COP26 Festival programme includes an array of high-profile events running through spring and summer, which will be delivered across digital and face-to-face formats.

Events confirmed so far (more details to follow):

• Countdown to COP26 inaugural event (20 May)
• Sustainable Investment Conference (12-13 July)
• Energy & Transport Forum (15 July)
• Climate adaptation & Nature-Based Solution online event (9 September)
• High-level roundtable of COP26/business leaders (9 September)
• “SPARK” COP26-themed workshop day (5 October)

Digital content

The Festival events programme will be supported by a plethora of articles, interviews, blogs, reports and guides delivered by edie’s award-winning editorial team.

This began last week with the publication of a must-read business guide – edie Explains: The business opportunity of COP26 ­– which includes a full summary of what we know so far about the talks, who’s involved, and what your organisation can do to realise the aims of COP26.

READ THE COP26 BUSINESS GUIDE HERE.

Upcoming content to be delivered as part of the Festival include:

• A dedicated COP26 newsletter for edie readers (more details to be announced soon)
• A series of “COP26 Primer” reports, broken down by the official themes (May – Sept)
• A new series of high-level COP26 interviews and weekly round-ups (May – Sept)
• A spin-off podcast series focused on global climate breakthroughs and opportunities in the run-up to the talks (May-Sept)

Bookmark this page to stay up-to-date with the latest COP26 news. More details on the full Festival programme will be announced soon.

edie staff