The University of Glasgow's COP26 Youth Hub
Queen Margaret University is home to the University of Glasgow’s COP26 Youth Hub
The University of Glasgow is hosting its very own COP26 Youth Hub over the two weeks of COP. The event is for young people aged 16-30 and is currently being held in the Queen Margaret Student Union.
The two-week hub will feature different workshops, panels, guest speakers and will be an overall fun and safe space for young people to learn more about climate change. The event is organised by GUEST, the Glasgow University Environmental Sustainability Team. They’re made up of 12 students working on a part-time basis. Three of these 12 students are the GUEST coordinators, each overseeing different branches of GUEST. Each of the eight branches is led by a promoter and focuses on different aspects of sustainability on campus. GUEST also hires a bike mechanic who organises regular bike fixes around campus and student halls to help promote health and wellbeing, as well as environmentally friendly travel.
Molly Walker, one of GUEST’s coordinators, said: “Projections are saying that most of Glasgow will be underwater by 2050 due to rising sea levels, which is really scary. That, alongside the lack of a fully integrated public transport system and not [having] fully functional cycle lanes, means there is still heavy car use, which is a big concern for Glasgow due to their carbon emissions.
“We’re hoping COP26 can shine a new light on these issues and forge a new path for Glasgow’s environmental future.”
The event is made up of both in-person and online activities. Each day has a different theme to match the events happening during COP26. These include energy, finance, youth and public empowerment, adaptation, loss & damage, gender/science and innovation, transport, cities, regions and built environment and the ‘closure of negotiations’.
Molly said: “For every day of COP26, we have scheduled events where young people can get involved, learn more and discuss climate change in a safe space. We have teamed up with various climate change organisations such as People and Planet, Young Friends of the Earth, Forest of Nature and UK Young Climate Coalition who have helped organise the event will be featuring in our panels.”
When asked whether GUEST’s work was limited to COP26, Molly stated: “COP26 has taken up the majority of our time but we have events throughout the semester for students, such as: our weekly climate cafes and book club as well as Glasgow Goes Green festival next year.”