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This briefing reviews progress that was made at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) held in Glasgow, Scotland, UK over 1–12 November 2021. The context of the global climate change challenge is outlined, along with the aspirations of the major participating international groups. An overall balance sheet is provided that gives an assessment of the achievements and disappointments in the outcomes of COP26. This assessment sets a backdrop to what needs to be achieved when the Parties next meet at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt in 2022 to address both immediate and longer-term climate change mitigation, adaptation and climate finance.

Geoffrey Hammond at the University of Bath and Marcus Newborough of ITM Power review what happened at the UN climate change conference in Glasgow last year, and what the resulting ‘Glasgow climate pact’ means for global warming and climate change.