IFLA will be playing an active role at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), held in Glasgow, Scotland and online from 1-12 November. 

The Conference will look to secure the commitments necessary to avoid the worst effects of climate change, as well as to advance work to adapt to the temperature rises which are already inevitable.

As already underlined in IFLA’s news stories to date, libraries have a role to play in climate action. Documentary heritage, information, libraries and information science, traditional wisdom and knowledge all offer immense potential to support transformative action and just transitions by communities towards low carbon climate resilience futures.

IFLA will therefore be active, engaging in a series of side-events at the Conference:

IFLA at the Blue-Zone Resilience Hub

2 November, 13:15 – 14:45 UTC: IFLA’s Secretary General Gerald Leitner will speak at a special event hosted by Climate Heritage Network held in the Blue-Zone Resilience Hub. You can register at the Resilience Hub and then join live.

Event: “Running the Race to Resilience Together: Communities Tapping Their Shared Cultures and Heritage for Climate Action” (Green-zone)

8 November, 11:30 – 13:00 UTC: IFLA Policy and Research Officer Claire McGuire will speak at a roundtable on using culture and cultural institutions to support inclusive, locally-led resilience action. Libraries can be hubs for this action! Find out more.

Event: “Powering climate action through heritage policies, organisations, research and public programmes” (Blue-zone)

11 November, 16:00 – 17:00 UTC: Hosted at the COP26 EU Pavilion, IFLA Policy and Research Officer Claire McGuire will join fellow cultural organisations and Climate Heritage Network members to speak to our engagement in climate change. We will especially highlight how libraries empower their communities to take climate action. Find out more.

 

You can also find out about other library events, and other sessions that may be of interest to the library field.