Successful COP26 showcased a lifetime’s work for all

Sir, – COP26 has been a success in that it has got the issues at play beyond the bubble and in to wider public consciousness.

That is priceless. Like many people, I couldn’t tell you where the last conference was, whose idea they were in the first place or what had previously been agreed. We all know about it now.

The infrastructure of Glasgow and the Central Belt has been able to deal with an international event, the police undertook their role with good humour and common sense, and the protesters protested in the way we would have liked them to, without getting up to any nonsense that would have detracted from the issues at hand. There have been no nasty incidents to reflect badly on people and that is very much to the credit of all those involved.

I have been very impressed with Alok Sharma, who shouldered responsibility for the organisation of the event and he made sure the discussions and negotiations were concentrated on the matters at hand and not himself or his government. US envoy John Kerry has shown that the USA is engaged again, and we should all take confidence from that.

Progress has been made, but we know now that there is a rolling programme of improvements, and that whatever has not been covered in Glasgow will be taken up again in 2022 in Egypt.

When Greta Thunberg gets home and has time to reflect on things, she will hopefully realise that “blah, blah, blah” is not an accurate summary of what has taken place. This now is a lifetime’s work for all of us, including Greta, and we should look at things from that perspective.

Victor Clements. Mamie’s Cottage, Aberfeldy.