The ending of this year’s COP26 conference has left many architects to ponder how effective the mostly non-representative group of negotiators were in addressing the skepticism and high expectations coming into the meeting that is meant to address what is undoubtedly the greatest moral issue of our time.

The conference concluded on Saturday with a resounding sense of discord, despite a historic pact signed by 197 countries to close the conference. Here’s a look at some of the highlights and tangible changes that came out of the two-week meeting in Glasgow.

Coal

Coal was the biggest hangup at the conference by far, with the final language of the deal constituting what British Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared a “death knell” for the industry. Although more than 40 countries agreed to end their own domestic production of coal, India, with help from China and Iran, singularly stalled the pact until an 11th-hour deal changed the text from “phase out” to the more ambiguous “phase down” in order to assure its own domestic development goals could be achieved more easily. 

India's Net-Zero 2070 Commitment

The world’s largest democracy made headlines on the second day of the conference when its Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised his country would become net-zero by 2070 — a move that drew criticism from some, who said the target is too far removed from the similar 2050 pledge signed by the United States and others. 

Deforestation

Deforestation came on the agenda for the first time, with over 100 countries signing up to cut out the practice completely by 2030. Financial entities chipped in, with over 450 banks, private equity funds, and other institutions committing massive sums of seed money to green financing efforts as well as committing to decarbonize their portfolios, which total more than $130 trillion worldwide.

Electric Vehicles

A resolution on electric vehicles was signed by a group of cities, countries, investment funds, and automakers ensuring that all new vehicles sold will be zero-emission by 2040 in every market. A new Beyond Oil & Gas Alliance begun by Costa Rica and Denmark gained traction but ultimately failed to add more than 7 member parties, including any of the world’s major fossil fuel producers, in what is seen as a stalled effort. 

Methane

A bilateral agreement on methane, one of the six big greenhouse gases, was reached between China and the United States (albeit without specific directives) that incorporates the world’s number one producer into a global pledge committed to reducing emissions by 30% of their current levels by the end of the decade. China had previously refused to go along with the global consensus, stating that it would essentially regulate itself until last week’s surprising deal.

Carbon Markets

Furthermore, a deal was reached that tied up some loose ends held over from the 2015 Paris Agreement, which had left unfinished Article 6 of the treaty which governs carbon markets. The deal is being framed as a huge victory for Brazil, which stands to benefit from its wind and solar holdings and control over most of the Amazon rainforest. 

Loss and Damages

Negotiations stopped short on a loss and damages apparatus in addition to several other key initiatives related to the imbalance of power that was vehemently expressed by leaders of several low-lying countries and others who charge the conference largely left out or ignored the concerns of the Global South.

How all of this immediately affects architecture and the built environment will remain to be seen. The 2030 pledge signed by many in the industry seems to have been further aligned with the rest of the world in terms of net-zero targets and emissions goals, while efforts toward deforestation may constitute a roadblock to the growing use of mass timber in certain building types that have become popular in more and more urban developments across the world.

How did the conference live up to your expectations, and what do you think will come next for those across the major practice areas? Sound off in our comments section below.