Lancaster University climate change conference closes

A dire warning about the world of tomorrow rounded out a week of activities for the COP26 @ Lancaster University festival.
The COP26 @ Lancaster University festival saw the University put on 39 separate events across a week-long programme, with more than 1,500 people registering to take part in the conversation.The COP26 @ Lancaster University festival saw the University put on 39 separate events across a week-long programme, with more than 1,500 people registering to take part in the conversation.
The COP26 @ Lancaster University festival saw the University put on 39 separate events across a week-long programme, with more than 1,500 people registering to take part in the conversation.

The Pod of the Future – part of artist Michael Pinsky’s wider Pollution Pods installation – was set up at the University’s Health Innovation Campus on its way to next week’s UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow.

The event was organised by Lancaster Arts and saw members of the public invited to enter the pod to experience what the air we breathe will be like in 2040 - unless drastic action is taken.

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It was followed by a talk ‘How do we breathe? Arts, air pollution and health equity’ hosted by Prof Simon Guy, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Global and University lead on sustainability, and featuring the artist and a number of climate change experts.

The COP26 @ Lancaster University festival saw the University put on 39 separate events across a week-long programme, with more than 1,500 people registering to take part in the conversation.

Other highlights included a public lecture ‘Lancaster University and the climate emergency’ and the Planet Mark zero carbon, electric “Battle Bus” highlighting the actions the business community to address the climate crisis.

Prof Guy said: “The COP26 at Lancaster Festival was an excellent opportunity to bring together Lancaster’s leading voices on climate change to raise awareness and spark discussion, debate and collaborations on the greatest challenge facing us all.

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“It was fantastic to see members of the public engaging with the issue and connecting with the university community to discuss ways to tackle climate change. The Pod of the Future was a particularly visceral example of where we will be if we don’t work together to combat this challenge.”

Home to one of the largest groups of environmental experts in Europe, Lancaster University researchers examine climate change across all subject areas, including those in the co-hosting research centres the Centre for Global Eco-Innovation and the Pentland Centre for Sustainability in Business.

A number of Lancaster researchers are currently preparing to head to Glasgow to highlight their work on the climate emergency.