Dear John,

As the dust settles on COP26 there’s lots to talk about. Despite the disappointing outcome from the talks themselves I’m filled with renewed determination to fight harder than ever for climate justice.

Now is a good moment to reflect on what happened at COP26 - and plan our next moves in the struggle to build a better, more equitable world that doesn’t destroy our planet. To kick this off, Stop Climate Chaos is hosting a webinar next Monday, 22nd November where we’ll examine lessons learned from COP26 and explore what comes next. I hope you can join us!

Monday’s webinar will take place from 7pm to 8.30pm.

Speakers will include Emma Jayne Geraghty and Marion Briggs of Friends of the Earth, youth activist Amy O’Brien, Siobhan Curran of Trócaire, Valery Molay of the National Youth Council of Ireland, Aideen O'Dochartaigh of Not Here Not Anywhere and Sadhbh O’Neill of DCU.

Many of these speakers attended COP26 and will share their thoughts on the talks from policy and movement building perspectives. There will also be time to discuss and share your own views on COP26 - and post COP action - during the webinar’s breakout sessions. 

False solutions like distant net zero pledges and carbon markets abounded inside the official COP26.

But the climate justice movement’s energy and creativity in alerting people to their dangers - using a range of tactics from eye catching direct action to top quality panel discussions - was nothing short of inspiring.

Inspiring too was the battle that Southern countries fought for a Loss and Damage Finance Facility to deal with the climate impacts that are devastating their lives and livelihoods.

It was heart breaking to see this Loss and Damage Facility being ultimately blocked by rich countries like the US, UK and EU. But it’s on the agenda for COP27 next year and the momentum behind it has got undeniably stronger - if we in the global North can also push our Governments harder on issues like this the outcome at COP27 may be different. 

The official COP26 talks were awash with injustice and false solutions but the opposite was true in the activist spaces all around Glasgow. The climate justice movement was building its power and big, bold ideas for a radically better, greener world were everywhere. There were diplomatic rays of light too - with Ireland joining the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance of countries committed to phasing out oil and gas production.

Listen back to some of the COP26 coalition panel discussions here, here and here to be filled with ideas, inspiration and lots of food for thought and activism. You can also read some our member organisations’ reactions to the COP26 outcome here, here, here and here. Then sign up for our webinar on Monday to learn more and share your own reflections during the webinar’s breakout sessions!

In hope and solidarity,

Deirdre

Communications support

Stop Climate Chaos

Stop Climate Chaos is a coalition of civil society organizations campaigning to ensure Ireland does its fair share to tackle the causes and consequences of climate change.