Professor Peter Newell
Professor of International Relations and Research Director of the Rapid Transition Alliance.
COP26
See how we contributed our research, knowledge and expertise, and engaged our staff and students, to influence the 26th UN Climate Change Conference 2021 (COP26) – as well as our wider efforts to tackle climate change.
COP26: How were we involved?
Our community is working hard to become one of the most sustainable universities in the world. As part of this work, we contributed our research, knowledge and expertise to COP26. We even had COP26 volunteers and academics from the University attending the event. Find out more about our work below.
Sussex offers COP26 scholarships for future climate leaders
The University of Sussex is among the first UK universities to introduce COP26 scholarships supporting talented students to develop into climate leaders.
The scholarships will be available to both undergraduate and postgraduate UK students. Applications open on November 1.
Sussex at COP26
See some of the people from Sussex who attended COP26 below. You can also read our experts' analysis about COP26 issues.
See more Sussex COP26 participants.
Our research
Mitigating climate change
Following the global UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) which took place in Glasgow in November 2021, find out about some of the work and projects researchers at the University of Sussex Business School are doing in this field.
Our staff and students
See more about our response to the challenges discussed at COP26.
COP26 fact box
What was COP26 and what did it mean?
COP26 was the 2021 United Nations annual climate change conference. COP stands for Conference of the Parties. Parties are the signatories of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – a treaty agreed in 1994 which has 197 Parties (196 countries and the EU). The 2021 conference, hosted by the UK, together with partners Italy, in Glasgow, was the 26th meeting of the Parties, which is why it was called COP26.
United Nations climate change conferences are among the largest international meetings in the world. The negotiations between governments are complex and involve officials from every country in the world as well as representatives from civil society and the global news media.
Why was COP26 important?
The UK is working with every nation to reach an agreement on how to tackle climate change. By COP26, countries were expected to have finalised their national action plans to cut carbon emissions in response to the Paris agreement.
What were the aims of COP26?
The UK was aiming to secure a global plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as from cars and factories, to zero by 2050.
When did COP26 take place?
COP26 was due to go ahead in 2020, but had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
COP26 took place between 1 November and 12 November 2021.
Contact us
Research development enquiries:
researchexternal@sussex.ac.uk
Research impact enquiries:
rqi@sussex.ac.uk
Research governance enquiries:
rgoffice@sussex.ac.uk
Doctoral study enquiries:
doctoralschool@sussex.ac.uk
Undergraduate research enquiries:
undergraduate-research@sussex.ac.uk
General press enquiries:
press@sussex.ac.uk