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With under a year to go until this year’s crucial international climate talks in Glasgow, the COP26 Presidency has opened applications for events, exhibitions and activities during the two-week negotiations. The deadline for submitting expressions of interest is 5 March.

The event typically attracts thousands of people: negotiators, regulators, businesses, activists, journalists and researchers. Official activities are hosted either in the Green Zone, which is open to all, or the Blue Zone, which is reserved for official UNFCCC observers.

As the COP26 Presidency is encouraging partnership offerings, techUK will be submitting proposals bringing together members for events, exhibitions and activities at the talks.

It is anticipated to be a highly competitive process and we want to make sure our proposals are as strong as possible. And as such, we are looking for strongest possible speakers and content.

We are today opening a first round for members to make event suggestions and put forward speaker and exhibition content suggestions.

Please read the information below careful and note that the deadline for submissions is Friday 12 February. These should be sent to COP26@techUK.org

Among the ideas we are exploring (but not limited to):

• Tech and innovation pavilion in the Green Zone

We will be pitching a “digital tech & innovation” exhibition space, showcasing the opportunities that digital technology can enable in the fight against climate change.

Please share with us details of what content you could bring to a dedicated exhibition space and how much space you would need so we can determine how much floor space we’d want to request. The more interactive and visual the better! Please explain how you can support wider participation with the content.

• Events in the Green Zone

We will be pitching a number of side events on the COP26 presidency themes where the tech sector is in a unique position to lead the discussion.

Please share with us details of senior members of staff who will be attending the talks and would be willing to speak, and on what subject areas. If there is a tech climate issue you are passionate about that you think would make a great theme for an event then please let us know.

• UK pavilion content in the Blue Zone

We will be suggesting content for the UK’s pavilion in the Blue Zone. Content for this pavilion will need to be UK centric.  Please share with us details of interactive, visual exhibition options and senior staff who will be available and willing to provide a keynote talk, and on what subject areas.

Government is also inviting expressions of interest to use the onsite IMAX Theatre and planetarium, as well as a well-being space, spaces for creative installations, opportunities to highlight photography, illustration and design and art & cultural performances. If you have suggestions for these spaces too, please share your suggestions.

Members considering suggestions need to be aware of the following:

• The eligibility criteria set by COP26 as set out on p.23 of this document. Please confirm when submitting your suggestion whether you can, or are taking steps to, meet them.
• The priority themes that the COP26 presidency are focusing on as set out on page 6 of this document. techUK suggestions will be aligned with these themes.
• If our application for exhibition spaces is successful, production costs will be shared equitably amongst successful members, with smaller companies paying proportionately less than larger companies.
• Submissions must be a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 300 words for the first round. Short-listed companies will be asked for further detail in the second round.

In shortlisting content going forward, techUK will:

• Appoint a panel drawn from techUK’s elected Climate Council to judge and score each submission against the following criteria:
   
• Does the company meet the eligibility criteria?
• Does the suggestion or content highlight the role of tech in addressing climate change, in line with the COP26 Presidency Challenges?
• Does the suggestion and content have relevance to a global audience?
• Does the suggestion support collaboration and partnership?
• Does the suggestion support diversity and inclusivity?
• Does the suggestion give a platform to marginalized groups (such as young people) particularly those in the global south?
• Does the suggestion provide opportunities to further extending reach and engagement?
• Is the member an SME or engaged in techUK’s Climate Strategy and Resilience Council or Group and/or a member of the Smart Infrastructure and Systems Programme?
• For exhibition content, is the content interactive and support participation?

To manage conflicts of interests, if a member of the scoring panel has submitted a suggestion, they will not be allowed to judge their own proposal.  

In the event of ties, a final decision will be taken by techUK and shortlisted companies will be contacted by techUK in mid Feb-March.

A second round will be launched in mid-February confirming themes that will be taken forward, address speaker gaps and further content needs for exhibition space.

Unfortunately, as a result of expected demand and interest, it is highly unlikely that we can take every idea forward and will not be in a position to provide feedback to every suggestion.