Making COP26 Count all year round

The UK retains the presidency of COP26 until November 2022, when COP27 will take place in Egypt. Three months after the gathering in Glasgow, the implications of this event are slowly being understood. In a series of articles, we reflect on the event through the eyes of one landscape architect, consider the ways in which individual practitioners are changing how they work, and provide a policy-led analysis.

Changing Spaces

Claire Thirlwall invites colleagues to look back on COP26.

Jane Findlay is president of the Landscape Institute.

What has been encouraging for me is that we are finally talking about the integrated approach to the many environmental challenges humanity faces. Previously, conservation and biodiversity were often viewed as separate issues from our changing climate, whereas the landscape profession has long recognised that the crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and human health and wellbeing are inextricably interconnected. Now, with promises to reverse deforestation, conserve peatlands, and provide funding directly to indigenous people to help them protect their lands, there is greater recognition of the vital part that nature plays in regulating the climate. The resulting Glasgow Pact offered few wins against expected COP26 outcomes, but there were critical signs of progress seen beyond the negotiation tables. Expectations for the conference were high and several months on, I’m still asking myself whether COP was a success. Having witnessed both formal and fringe COP26, I personally have mixed feelings – but ultimately COP26 fell well short of delivering the national commitments that would together limit warming globally to 1.5C.

Carolyn Willitts is director of CW Studio and and a member of the Landscape Architects Declare and Built Environment Declares Steering Groups

As a team, we had already talked about what we needed to do to become a more sustainable business. COP26 was perfectly timed for us to announce our plans to become Net Carbon Zero by 2030, as well as working towards becoming a B Corp business – a journey we started twelve months ago. In terms of our day-to-day activities, it is important for us to be reading, watching and listening to learn and unlearn, enabling us to be conscious and proactive in how we are as a company and how we are as designers.

David Pearl is an innovator in business, arts and social change, inventor of Street Wisdom, and author of Story for Leaders and Wanderful.

As COP26 approached I was feeling deeply alarmed and, as a “sustainability outsider”, powerless. Worse – paralysed. The environmental narrative seemed to be telling me apocalypse is imminent. The vested interest narrative wanted to lull me to sleep with the idea that some miraculous technology will save us all, so I should go back to sleep.

So, I headed to Glasgow with a film crew, set up a makeshift studio and started talking to experts, particularly to find out what stories they use (and tell themselves) when they encounter defeatism, hostility and despair. I was particularly keen to uncover the powerful micro stories that can switch your perspective in a few words. The interviews (both in person and online) with people like Bianca Pitt, Gabrielle Walker, Nigel Topping, Eliane Ubalijoro, Sir Tim Smit and Johanna Gibbons were fascinating. A seedbed of inspiration. I asked each interviewee to give me some parting advice. One of my favourites was from Jo: “If you’re feeling scared or defeated, dig a hole and smell the earth.”

Eccles Ng is Course Director of BA Landscape Architecture at Birmingham City University.

COP26 identified and highlighted the important aspects of mitigation, adaptation, finance and collaboration in tackling climate change. As a Chartered Landscape Architect and course director of BA Landscape Architecture at Birmingham City University, I can see there are a lot of upcoming opportunities for our landscape architecture students to work with other disciplines, professions, local communities and governments within our nation and internationally.

The recent success in our international collaboration project with Shahjalal University in Bangladesh opened up further opportunities to connect students and professionals across the globe. This encourages me to focus further on the COP26 “Collaboration – work together to deliver” goal by finding future cross-disciplinary, transnational education collaboration opportunities.

Abu Siddiki is a British Bangladeshi architect currently completing an MA in International Planning and Sustainable Development at Westminster University.

COP26 highlighted the urgency to act quickly to save our planet. As professionals within the built environment, we all need to change our behaviour and recognise this call to action, as we have a huge responsibility to not only change our own mindset but those around us. We need to work collectively to bring about positive changes through dialogues, collaboration and education.

The global pandemic has highlighted the inequalities within the built environment and the challenges we are faced with as professionals. Going forward, my philosophy is to design with communities and their wellbeing in mind and collaborate on cross-disciplinary projects that embrace diversity and inclusivity.

In my experience of working on projects internationally across the UK, UAE and Bangladesh, I understand that a blanket approach cannot be applied, as there are various differences which impact decisions. However, in every culture “community” is a common factor. If we can persuade the client that decisions made can impact negatively or positively on their communities then hopefully, we can have a consensus.

Chris Churchman is founder and director of Churchman Thornhill Finch.

The changes arising from COP26 were general and specific. To meet the objective of maintaining a 1.5°C increase in temperatures will require a two-thirds reduction in emissions. This will demand fundamental changes in all aspects of life, from diet through mode of travel to how and where we build. However, it is the finally enacted Environment Act which will drive the necessary changes. The binding commitment on the Secretary of State to halt species decline, and on Public Authorities to establish policies to bring about transformation, will drive tough targets, with policies needing to be reviewed regularly; there will be a progressive and frequent ratchetting up of substantive changes in the way that landscapes are delivered – no more ‘eco bling’ or greenwashing.

This requires better skills from landscape professionals: swales and bat boxes won’t cut it. Every landscape architect must know the relevant metrics, the carbon in a 50 year old tree, the C02 captured by a new tree, the carbon in a hectare of soil.

Luke Engleback is Director of Studio Engleback.

We constantly research the big issues and look at ways to address them better – this aspect has to continue to feed back into our work. Mostly it is the justification in terms of benefits – we have to sow hope not just frighten folk!

Some clients are far more amenable to changing behaviour than others. We have legislation so we know we have to massively reduce carbon emissions, especially embodied carbon, and we also have to have a net biodiversity gain, and ideally we need to see legislation for net environmental gain – these need explaining not only to the client but also the lead architects in many cases. It has to be framed as an opportunity, not a penalty.

Claire Thirlwall is a director of Thirlwall Associates. Her book “From Idea to Site: a project guide to creating better landscapes” is published by RIBA.