ActNowFilm – an official COP26 Universities Network project - will be shown in the Green Zone at the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November.

ActNowFilm was produced by student volunteers, the University of Bath Institute for Policy Research (IPR) and Cambridge Zero, in partnership with GAUC. It showcases the views of 16-30 year olds, and is drawn from films submitted by over 140 young people from 32 countries. In the film young people from across the world share their lived experiences of climate change; their hopes and ambitions for the future; and their 'asks' of the climate change negotiators, as well as their own climate pledges. They share, in their own words, why stopping climate change is important to them - the future generation.

Following the film’s successful trailer premiers at Climate Week NYC and the UN Biodiversity Convention COP15 in Kunming, ActNowFilm will debut at COP26 and feature at the GAUC Climate x Summit.

From 31 October – 12 November, COP26 will bring together international government negotiators, decision-makers, and policymakers in Glasgow and beyond to discuss how they should accelerate action towards stopping climate change. From small island states to countries with rapidly growing urban areas, representatives from 197 countries are expected to join.

Director of Cambridge Zero, Emily Shuckburgh, said:

"This film brings the voice of youth to COP26. Cambridge Zero is pleased to have supported this initiative as part of the COP26 Universities Network and GAUC."

On the film’s successful entry to COP26, Head of Policy Programmes and Communications at the IPR, Amy Thompson, adds:

“We are so delighted that the ActNowFilm will showcase in the Green Zone at COP26. This youth voices project has been such an incredible film to work on. By listening to and watching the fears and experiences of these young people, and the actions they are taking and pledges that they are making to address climate change, you hear and feel the collective power and determination of young people from around the world.”

“Young people want a safer and more sustainable world – they are clear on that. It is our hope that the negotiators and leaders at the COP26 summit listen to these voices and take action to enable this future.”

ActNowFilm will be shown in the Green Zone Science Show Theatre at COP26 on 11 November, between 13:30 - 14:30 GMT. Watch live.

Get involved

About the COP26 Universities Network

The COP26 Universities Network is a growing group of over 80 UK-based universities and research centres working together to raise ambition for tangible outcomes from the UN COP26 Climate Change Conference, to be held in Glasgow, Scotland in November 2021. The Network will create lasting partnerships and legacies that reach beyond this single event.

The Network’s mission is to ensure that the UK academic sector plays its role in delivering a successful COP26, getting all players on track to deliver a zero-carbon, resilient world. They aim to do so by easing access to evidence and academic expertise for COP26 for government, NGOs, and other actors, and by taking action.

About COP26

The UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow on 31 October – 12 November 2021. The COP26 summit will bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

About Cambridge Zero

Cambridge Zero is the University of Cambridge's response to the climate crisis. It's an interdisciplinary initiative that brings together the research and policy expertise from across the University to address every aspect of a zero-carbon future.

By developing a bold programme of education, research, demonstration projects and knowledge exchange focused on supporting a zero-carbon world, the initiative’s ambition is to generate and disseminate the ideas and innovations that will shape our future – and to equip a future generation of leaders with the skills to navigate the global challenges of the coming decades.

About GAUC

The Global Alliance of Universities on Climate (GAUC) was formed in January 2019, in Davos, Switzerland, and is a growing group of 15 international universities.

Its mission is to advance climate change solutions through research, education, and public outreach, and to partner with industry, non-profit and government organisations to promote rapid implementation from local to global scales.

About the IPR

The Institute for Policy Research (IPR) is a leading public policy research institute, based at the University of Bath. It aims to further the public good through research into issues of significant relevance to policy debate and decision-making, build links with the worlds of policy and practice, and increase public understanding of policy research through public events and publications.

The IPR delivers activities for policymakers, researchers and practitioners to enable dual learning and original contributions to both research and practice, through Policy Fellowship Programmes, International Visiting Fellows scheme, and postgraduate programmes including a Masters in Public Policy and Professional Doctorate in Policy Research and Practice.