COP26 sustainability report

COP26SUSTAINABILITYREPORT ForewordOverviewCarbonManagementReducingImpactsAccessible&InclusiveHealthyLivingSafe&SecureSustainableBehaviourResponsibleSourcesPositiveLegacy 2 CONTENTS Foreword3 OverviewofCOP264 Carbonmanagement10 Reducingimpacts15 Anaccessibleandinclusivesetting20 Encouragehealthyliving22 Asafeandsecureevent25 Sustainablebehaviour27 Responsiblesourcesandsupplychainresourceuse29 Leaveapositivelegacy32 Imagecredits34 COP26SUSTAINABILITYREPORT ForewordOverviewCarbonManagementReducingImpactsAccessible&InclusiveHealthyLivingSafe&SecureSustainableBehaviourResponsibleSourcesPositiveLegacy FOREWORD ItwaswithenormouspridethattheUKGovernmenthostedCOP26,themostimportantclimatenegotiationssincetheParisAgreement,andthebiggestinternationalsummittheUKhaseverorganised. InthelargesttemporarymeetingspaceeverbuiltintheUK,COP26hosted120worldleadersandalmost40,000delegates,arecordnumber.HeldunderchallengingcircumstancesduetotheCOVID-19pandemic,wewerecommittedtoprovidingasafe,secureandinclusivein-personevent,pivotaltothesuccessofthenegotiations. Sustainabilityliesattheheartofactionsonclimatechange,andasthisreportsetsout,notonlydidweachieveinternationallyrecognisedaccreditation,wechallengedourselvestogofurther.ThisdegreeofrigourwasunprecedentedinCOPcarbonaccountingandprovidesanimportantnewbaselineforfutureevents;thesuccessfuloutcomeofourapproachalsoputstheUKattheforefrontofsustainableeventplanning. Aconferenceofthisscaleisalwaystheresultofcollaboration.Iwouldliketothankallourpartners,suppliersandvolunteersinvolvedinplanninganddeliveringthesummit,whoseinnovationandenthusiasmcontributedtotherealisationofCOP26. IamdelightedtosharethisCOP26SustainabilityReport,whichdetailshowweperformedagainsteachofoursustainabilityGoverningPrinciples,andwill,Ihope,serveasanindispensableguidetofuturehostcountriesandtotheeventsindustry. PhotoofAlokSharmaa TheRtHonAlokSharmaMPCOP26PresidentDesignate Foreword Overview CarbonManagementReducingImpactsAccessible&InclusiveHealthyLivingSafe&SecureSustainableBehaviourResponsibleSourcesPositiveLegacy OVERVIEWOFCOP26 COP26washeldinGlasgow,Scotland,UnitedKingdom(UK)from31Octoberto13November2021,underthepresidencyoftheUK.COPstandsforConferenceoftheParties. PartiesarethesignatoriesoftheUnitedNationsFrameworkConventiononClimateChange(UNFCCC)–atreatyagreedin1994whichhas197parties(196countriesandtheEU). The2021Glasgow-basedconference,hostedbytheUKtogetherwithpartnersItaly,wasthe26thmeetingoftheParties.UnitedNations(UN)climatechangeconferencesareamongthelargestinternationalmeetingsintheworld.The negotiationsbetweengovernmentsarecomplexandinvolveofficialsfromalmostallcountries,aswellasrepresentativesfromcivilsocietyandtheworld’smedia. ThiswasthelargestinternationalsummittheUKhadhostedandthemostsignificantclimatenegotiationssinceCOP21inParis,2015.COP26 saw38,000delegatestravellingfromnearly200countries–thehighestattendanceeverataCOP –withanaverageof13,000delegatesonsiteeachdayandmorethan17,000onpeakdays. COP26wasthefirstlarge-scaleeventhostedintheUKsincethestartoftheglobalCOVID-19pandemic.Safetywasthereforeapriorityand DameJoDaSilva,GlobalDirectorofSunstainableatArup,speakingattheBuildingBackBetter:AcceleratingDeepCollaborationintheBuiltEnvironmenteventat theSECforCOP26.©JustinGoff/UKGovernment TheactionzoneandglobeattheHydro,Glasgow.© KarwaiTang/UKGovernment weworkedcloselywithPublicHealthAgenciestomanageCOVID-19testingandvaccinationrequirements,createsufficientspaceforsocialdistancing,andtocoordinatethelogisticstosupportthesemeasures. DelegatesattheBuildingBackBetter:AcceleratingDeepCollaborationintheBuiltEnvironmenteventattheSECforCOP26,Glasgow.©JustinGoff/UK Government TheUNFCCCsetsminimumrequirementsforhostingaCOPwhichincludedeliveringacarbon-neutralconference.Todemonstrateourleadershipandambitioninsustainableeventmanagement,wecommittedtoimplementingtheInternationalStandardforEventSustainabilityManagementSystems(ISO20121). AiezaGraceatExploringLossandDamageatCop26onthe8thNovember2021attheSEC,Glasgow.© JustinGoff/UKGovernment Inaddition,wedevelopedacomprehensiveCarbonManagementPlanalignedwithPAS2060,theinternationalstandardforcarbonneutrality.COP26isthefirstCOPtoapplythisstandard,whichprioritisesidentifyingall emissionsgeneratedasaresultoftheevent,aswellasemissionsavoidanceandreduction. Foreword Overview CarbonManagementReducingImpactsAccessible&InclusiveHealthyLivingSafe&SecureSustainableBehaviourResponsibleSourcesPositiveLegacy COP26sustainabilitygoverningprinciples Asthehostcountry,theUKwasfullycommittedtodeliveringasustainable,carbon-neutralCOP26.UsingtheUNFCCC’s‘HowtoCOP’–whichprovidesadvicemakingaCOPmoresustainable –wedevelopedanactionplantoreducetheimpactsofhostingCOP26. Toguideourapproach,wedevelopedourCOP26SustainabilityGoverningPrinciplesandthisreportdetailshowweperformedineachoftheseareas.OurPrinciplesandtheactionssittingbeneaththemalsoalignedwithanumberofUNSustainableDevelopmentGoals. Wefoundalignmentwiththesegoalsthroughourworktoraiseawarenessontheneedforemissionsreduction,workcollabo