Whilst conscious of giving hostages to fortune in thinking about a daily diary during my time at COP26 here's Day 2.
A breakfast meeting in a Glasgow greasy spoon fuelled a morning in the Extreme Hangout, a youth focused events hub on a ferry on the River Clyde. Matt Damon made an appearance via Zoom.
After a wander over the bridge to the green zone (still terribly signed) and it’s bleak car park entrance way.
Lunch and events in the green zone including a panel on youth, the media and visualising climate. We met with and talked to a few members of YOUNGO, the UN Youth constituency.
We finally found the shuttle back to the blue zone when we were held up on the bridge by an Extinction Rebellion protest, blocking blue zone members from getting back in from our direction. A large police presence for a group of 100 people singing Kumbayah.
Eventually they moved on allowing us in, but not before the young American climate activist I met had to zoom into a panel she was meant to be sitting on inside the blue zone from the side of the blustery street.
We explored the blue zone and talked to a few people, including a Kyrgistani delegate who practiced ‘Snow Leopard Diplomacy’ (apparently the only thing you can get India and Pakistan to agree on).
We spotted a tired looking Ed Milliband across the hall.
Finally we ended up in a pub where we bumped into Zac Goldsmith.
A Damon (albeit in digital form), a lesser spotted Milliband and a greater crested Goldsmith ... not a bad haul on Day 2 .
We’ve learned a little more about the COP process but it still remains largely opaque. Now the world leaders have left the negotiations can begin in earnest. We will be able to sit in and hear what they discuss (as soon as we can work out what rooms they are in).
Tomorrow - more events, more youth activists and more wandering about the blue zone learning about this behemoth of an event.