Hopes and reflections for COP26

Northumbria University academic Dr Alex Hope is hosting webinars on both the first and last days of the COP26 Climate Change Summit to explore, firstly the hopes and then the reflections of the global conference.

In Expectations of COP26 at 1300pm on November 1, Dr Hope, from Northumbria’s Newcastle Business School, and fellow moderator Dr Rachel Welton from Nottingham Business School, will discuss the expectations of the summit with a diverse group of stakeholders. These include Susan Halliwell, Acting Chief Executive of West Berkshire Council, Thom Kenrick, Head of Social Strategy & Impact at NatWest Group, and National Union of Students President Ellen Fearon. On the final day of the conference, at 13:00pm on November 15, Dr Hope and Dr Welton will capture the thoughts of these same guests in Reflections on COP26.

Dr Hope said: “The most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was described by the UN Secretary-General as a “red alert for humanity”, so there is a lot riding on COP26 and expectations and high. In our webinars we hope to expose our audience to a range of perspectives on this pivotal moment for humanity. We have a brilliant panel of speakers, and I would urge anyone with an interest in climate change, what it means for us and how we can influence policy makers, to register for the webinars.”

The webinars are being held on behalf of the United Nations Global Compact - a global platform for business and non-business organisations to proactively network and engage in areas of human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption. They are also being run in collaboration with the UK and Ireland Chapter of the United Nations Principles of Responsible Management Education (UN PRME) initiative.

Dr Hope is an Associate Professor of Business Ethics at Newcastle Business School and undertakes teaching, research and consultancy across topics such as responsible business, the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, corporate social responsibility, energy policy and business ethics.

For more information and to register for the webinar series please visit the UN Global Compact website