Two weeks on the Clyde

Alumnus Professor Greg Clark (BEd 1981) offers his perspective on COP26, and the role of cities in reducing the impact of climate change.

By Greg Clark 3min read

Glasgow in November is not always balmy. For most of the two weeks of COP26 the skies were clear and dry, mirroring both the warmth of the welcome of the UK’s friendliest city, and the serious agenda that was under discussion. Warming is a complex word. A veneer of comfort laced with a hideous threat. 

For those, like me, who were in Glasgow for the summit, the balance sheet reads clearly. Progress was made on important agendas: methane, deforestation, the global financial system, national transparency, and measurability. There was progress in the revived US-China dialogue, a clear commitment from India with an ambitious next decade, and simply superb evidence from the community of scientists, ecologists, economists, and behaviouralists. In addition to this, at COP26, there was a swarm of technology innovations in renewable energy production, carbon capture and storage, circular economy, food production and agritech, nature-based solutions, construction processes, mobility systems, battery storage, smart digital platforms, and waste reduction. One of the conversations I had was with a Japanese vet who is a world leader on reducing flatulence in cattle!    

But there were also glaring gaps. The absence of Russia and China represented at the highest level was much discussed in the first week, though China was very visible in all dialogues. The absence of any serious discussion of carbon pricing and taxing which many believe is critical to tip the balance of incentives towards models that fully capture the planetary cost of all options. The hesitancy, by China and India, to agree a wording that commits to the elimination of coal as a fuel. The lack of a full commitment to pay for the loss and damage for those countries most impacted by existing and already unavoidable effects. For many, the stark conclusion is that 1.5 target is just barely alive, and only if everything else comes good quickly. The risk is that 1.5, 2.0, and even 2.5 degrees of global warming are unleashed with all the consequences for habitat devastation, biodiversity loss, and climate refugees they will bring. The stakes are the highest they could be.

I was at COP as Chair of the UK Cities Climate Investment Commission, a collaboration platform between cities and financial institutions, with business and Government, aimed at accelerating net zero investing in our urban systems. Cities have a special role in the climate emergency. They are the concentrations of population and the hubs of infrastructure and commerce. Cities produce high levels of CO2, but well-run cities that invest in their carrying capacity can be environmentally efficient compared to other forms of settlement. Cities are also key victims of global warming. Five hundred cities are at risk of flooding if we exceed the 1.5 degrees that would bring a 0.5m rise in sea levels.  If we have 10 billion people on our planet, the only way to house them effectively is well-run low-carbon cities.  

We must manage de-carbonisation in a better way than we mismanaged de-industrialisation. Our cities know that deeply. The NetZero City will be a healthier, more affordable, innovative, job rich, and fairer city, IF we can sequence together the de-carbonisation path with remodelling and reinvesting. We can focus now on proactive transformation to achieve better connected, more compact, and cleaner cities, underpinned by electrification, circularity, reformed land uses, green innovation, revised consumer choices, citizen empowerment, and cost/benefit fairness for just transition. This will ensure positive outcomes for people through healthier and more affordable homes, lower fuels bills, improved nutrition, wider transport options, and a long cycle of new green job creation. The net zero city is not just an environmental goal, it is the path to better connected places and rewarding lives.

Professor Greg Clark CBE FAcSS is Group Advisor at HSBC, Chair of the Connected Places Catapult and a Board member of Transport For London and the London LEP. He is a Civic Leader, writer, Non-Executive Director and Board Chair,  who works with Businesses, Governments, and Cities to help navigate this disrupted century, inspire new collaborations, and forge new futures.