Glasgow will play a part in crisis fight

GLASGOW is joining a worldwide alliance of cities to tackle climate change as it prepares to host COP26.

Yesterday marked 100 days until the most significant meeting on climate change since the Paris agreement was drawn up in 2015.

As part of its pledge to be at the forefront of progress, Glasgow announced it will join the C40 Thriving Cities Initiative (TCI), a network of nearly 100 of the world’s leading cities working to deliver urgent action on climate crisis.

Major cities have joined the scheme, from Amsterdam to Cape Town, and together they represent more than one one quarter of the global economy.

It is hoped the C40 cities can share ideas and implement pilot schemes to help each other reach net zero carbon, which Glasgow has vowed to achieve by 2030.

Amsterdam is already working on a scheme to implement 15-minute neighbourhoods, which will put key amenities, like shops, schools and public transport in close proximity to communities, reducing the need for cars and travel.

Leader of Glasgow City Council Susan Aitken said she wants Glasgow to become as significant a player in climate change as Paris, where a legally binding international agreement was reached with the aim of limiting global warming to well below 2C.

She said: “As the host city for COP26, we must deliver a local legacy where all Glaswegians can lead healthier, fairer and more prosperous lives without harming other people or the planet.”

Last month, more than 100 developing countries set out their negotiating demands ahead of COP26.

They have demanded more resources for poorer nations to fight climate change and compensation for the disproportionate impacts they suffer.