London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Aug 22, 2026

COP26: The story from Glasgow in 15 pictures

COP26: The story from Glasgow in 15 pictures

As the official business of the UN climate summit took place behind closed doors, some of the most eye-catching demonstrations, passionate speeches and unusual stories unfolded on the streets of Glasgow.
The media frenzy for Greta Thunberg


It's not often you'll see an 18-year-old surrounded by police and clamouring journalists in Glasgow Central station - but Greta Thunberg is no average teenager.

During her time in the city, people flocked to venues and demonstrations where she was rumoured to appear, hoping to catch a glimpse or a quick word on camera.

After the first day of summit discussions, as world leaders enjoyed a glamorous VIP dinner in Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, she addressed a crowd in Govan's Festival Park, saying politicians were "pretending to take our future seriously".

Reiterating her comments at the Youth4Climate conference in Milan in September, she said: "We are tired of [leaders'] blah, blah, blah".

She later joined thousands of young people on the Fridays for Future march and gave a speech in George Square, branding the summit a "failure" and a "global north greenwash festival".

The arrival of the Rainbow Warrior


Residents in Glasgow were told to expect disruption to their daily lives throughout the summit, including through road closures.

Among the first to make headlines was the arrival of the Rainbow Warrior - Greenpeace's famous ship - which resulted in the temporary closure of the Erskine Bridge while the vessel sailed underneath.

It was transporting four young climate activists from areas affected by climate change and had hoped to dock opposite the conference venue - but instead stopped a couple of miles up river at the King George V dock.

The horse and cart that came from Cornwall
Michael Ransley and Tarateeno the Marvellous stopped for a break on Victoria Road in Glasgow


Early last week, bystanders on Victoria Road may have been fortunate enough to see Taranteeno the Marvellous clopping by.

The 15-year-old cob was with owners Michael Ransley and his partner Dr Phoebe Beedell, who set off from Cornwall for COP26 in the spring of 2019.

They had originally set off for Glasgow more than two years ago but delayed their arrival until the summit had been rescheduled.

The activists aimed to raise awareness of the climate crisis throughout the host city, and were saddened to see the number of cars on the roads.

The new generation of climate campaigners

Vanessa Nakate is one of the best known of the new generation of campaigners against global warming - and was Uganda's first Fridays for Future activist.

The 24-year-old left her mark at both mass protests over the weekend, using impassioned speeches to raise awareness of the plight of the global south.

And if Ms Thunberg was the sovereign of soundbites, Ms Nakate held audiences rapt with first-hand experiences of communities devastated by climate disasters.

As one of the key speakers at the Global Day of Action rally on Glasgow Green, she told crowds how overnight storms seriously damaged a school which she and fellow campaigners helped to build in her home country.

"The strong winds and heavy rainfall will not stop, because the words and promises of leaders do not match their actions," she said.

The baby who joined a rally before her first birthday
A smiling Juneau made it to her first protest before her first birthday


People of all ages joined schoolchildren as they marched from Kelvingrove Park to George Square on 5 November - among the youngest was 11-month-old Juneau.

She and her mother, April Hamilton, had travelled from Paisley because it was "too important" not to join the rally.

Ms Hamilton, a teacher, spoke highly of Greta Thunberg, whom she said was an incredible role model for her daughter.

The scientists who closed a bridge

Shortly before 100,000 people were due to walk through the city centre on 6 November, a group of scientists chained themselves to the King George V Bridge.

The group from Scientist Rebellion said they could not "rely on our leaders to save us anymore" and had a "moral duty to act".

Specialist police teams used bolt cutters to remove the 21 activists. who were then arrested and released on an undertaking.

The colourful dress
The Red Rebels again added a dramatic splash of colour to the protests


Despite pouring rain on Saturday, spirits were far from dampened - in part due to the colourful costumes and indigenous dress on display.

Some groups did not have representation during official conference proceedings, but nevertheless had eyes upon them at one of the largest protests in Glasgow's living memory.

Members of indigenous groups, some of whom had no formal representation at the summit, joined the march

Others used their costumes to get their message across


Organisers said about 100,000 marched through the city for the rally at Glasgow Green.

Meanwhile police praised the "good natured" activists who were in "high spirits" throughout the day.

The 'artivism'


This mural in Partick is the work of Daniel Rupaszov - a 25-year-old from Hungary who belongs to a group of artists and activists who visit COP every year to create art which highlights the climate crisis.

He is one of many activists who have expressed their views through artwork, from a "carbon unicorn" made by Friends of the Earth to a large knitted display by Stiches for Survival.

The cafe that fed a horde of vegans

Brave Bakers on Saltmarket was one of the few businesses in the area that opted to stay open the day 100,000 protesters walked by on their way to Glasgow Green.

Arouge Salin had worked at the coffee shop for about two months when the staff of three were inundated with drenched customers vying for hot coffee and vegan pastries.

She told the BBC: "It started off quiet, but we had a queue outside the shop until the walk passed - it was non-stop from 15:30 until 18:00, and we normally shut at 17:30.

"We sold out of everything vegan - which never happens. The only thing we had left was our chicken and bacon bake which is usually the first thing to go.

"And we sold so many coffees that our machine jammed. I think people just wanted something warm."

And finally, the banner banter

In the absence of costumes or conspicuous floats, young people used their imaginations to daub eye-catching slogans on protest signs for the youth march.

Activists made sure their messages were heard in their own voice - whether it was with a bit of humour or a Scottish accent.



Greta Thunberg branded the COP26 climate summit a "global north greenwash festival"

Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior sails under Erskine Bridge


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Petrol Bombs Set Luxury Cars Alight Outside Birmingham Wedding as Police Hunt Three Men
Bitcoin Surges Toward $80,000 as Short Squeeze and ETF Inflows Ignite Crypto Rally
Prince Harry and Co-Claimants Ordered to Pay £9.5 Million Toward Daily Mail Publisher’s Legal Costs
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Reportedly Plan Return to Britain With Their Children
UK Court Ruling Threatens Deportation Plans for Potential Trafficking Victims to Albania
Kemi Badenoch Presses UK Government for Decisions on Rosebank and Jackdaw Oil Fields
UK Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Calls for Ban on Goods from Occupied West Bank
Andy Burnham Government to Place Civil Servants Directly in English Mayoral Offices
Met Office Warns Major El Niño Could Bring Stormier, Wetter Autumn to UK
UK Economy Gains Unexpected Momentum Ahead of Andy Burnham Government’s First Budget
Twenty-Nine US States Take Meta to Trial Over Alleged Child Addiction on Instagram and Facebook
Former Scottish National Party Executive Peter Murrell Jailed for Five Years Over £400,000 Embezzlement
Moderna and Merck's Personalized Cancer Vaccine Succeeds in Historic Late-Stage Melanoma Trial
Prince Harry and Meghan to Move Back to Britain With Their Children
England and Wales Have Fewer Than 1,800 Prison Places Left for Men
Royal Navy to Accelerate DragonFire Laser Deployment Against Growing Drone Threat
Northern Ireland Approves Five Hundred Million Pound Belfast Harbour Expansion
Great British Railways Takes Full Control of Avanti West Coast as Rail Nationalisation Reaches Final Stage
UK AI Safety Institute Calls for Mandatory Security Audits of Advanced AI Models
Scotland Secures Three Billion Pounds for Floating Offshore Wind Hub in Aberdeen
Government Overrides Local Councils to Approve Green Belt Housing Across Southern England
UK and EU Move Toward Mutual Recognition of Food Standards to Ease Cross-Channel Trade
Government Plans Multibillion-Pound Private Healthcare Expansion to Cut NHS Surgical Backlogs
Bank of England Signals Faster Rate Cuts as Inflation Falls Below the Two Percent Target
Suspected People Smuggler Arrested After Investigation Identified Him
Children's Doctors Warn That Vaping Can Lead Young People to Smoking
Hundreds of Thousands of Students Receive GCSE and Vocational Results Across England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Here Is What Can Never Happen in Your Country: Taiwan Is Giving Money to All Its People Because It Collected Too Much Tax
UK Inflation Rises to 2.9% as Energy Bills Jump
UK Issues New Conduct Guide for Asylum Seekers on Consent and Respect
Moderna Shares Surge After Positive Personalized Skin Cancer Trial Results
UK Markets Watch US National Debt Surpass Forty Trillion Dollars
UK Broadcasters Urge Government to Invest in Digital Participation and Broadband
CVC Capital Partners and Standard Life Launch Two Billion Pound Pension Risk Transfer Venture
UK Private Sector Productivity Growth Accelerates in Second Quarter
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband Condemns Israeli E1 Settlement Tender
UK Watchdog Investigates Trainline, Virgin Atlantic and RED Driving School Over Hidden Fees
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Plan Move to Private Home Outside London
UK Retail Sentiment Improves as Summer Spending Boosts Consumer Confidence
UK Aid Cuts Draw Warnings From Charities Over Humanitarian Consequences
UK Financial Conduct Authority Issues Guidance for Motor Finance Redress Scheme
UK Met Office Launches Aviation Programme to Reduce Climate Impact of Persistent Contrails
Former UK Civil Service Chief Received Record 500,000 Pound Severance Payment
West Midlands to Bring Bus Network Under Public Franchising Model
UK Government Drops Plan to Relax Affordable Housing Requirements After Backlash
UK Reaffirms Military Support for Ukraine Despite Russian Hybrid Warfare Threats
UK Technology Sector Expands Nearly 8 Percent as Digital Industry Outpaces Wider Economy
UK Drought Threatens Harvests Across England and Wales as Food Inflation Risks Persist
UK Government Pledges 442 Million Pounds to End Rough Sleeping by Christmas
UK Government Signals Willingness to Reconsider Digital Services Tax Amid US Tariff Threats
×