“There is probably nothing that I think about as much as climate change and its consequences. With a five-year degree in environmental science in the bag, I guess you could say I am familiar. I was therefore very keen and excited to be able to go and be in the thick of things this year. My accreditation gave me access to the blue zone where the political negotiations took place, but I was in fact mostly in the green zone that was open to the public. In it, you could find exhibits, film screenings and events from actors linked in varying ways to COP or climate change. 

And when I stand there, it becomes very clear: energy is vital to us. But also dangerous. It is quite simply very significant and central to our future. Because we cannot live without it – and huge efforts are needed to make the extraction and combustion of energy sources more climate-friendly and sustainable. Progress was made. On ‘Energy day’ on 4th November, for example, the Global Clean Power Transition Statement was presented , where a promise was made to cease investment in coal, along with a promise to scale up clean energy sources, so that a fair transition can take place and coal will be phased out – the promise has 77 signatories. Even the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance was created, of which Sweden is a core member, and the alliance strives to deliver a managed and fair transition away from oil and gas production.  

But behind these decisions to move mountains and prepare new ground for us and our future, lies an enormous amount of data. Data collection and analysis are also a cornerstone for making any well-founded decisions in regard to climate change. The more data and information that can be collected and analysed, the better can form an understanding of the mechanisms and functions of a system, and better decisions can be made. 

My experience of COP26 is characterised by mixed feelings. There was much hope and great expectation about finally turning this ship around. The pandemic showed us that nations can take sudden drastic action if that is what is required – and there was a sense of cohesion in place. But there was also a lot of frustration, when the fate of our time happens to be as complex as climate change, yet perhaps that is understandable. There was a lot of frustration about who is going to do what. Who has the most responsibility? Above all, there is the feeling that we do not really have time for lengthy discussions on this, but that action is needed – and it should have come yesterday.   

I left Glasgow with the feeling that Mestro plays a small, but oh-so important role in creating a more sustainable world by easily enabling energy monitoring and analysis. Because with more energy data, we can, together with our customers, make even more informed decisions. And maybe actually contribute to achieving the goals? I hope so, really.” 

Camilla Lindberg, 
Customer Success Manager at Mestro

COP26 is an international climate conference that took place in Glasgow, Scotland, from 31st October to 13th November 2021. COP stands for Conference of the Parties and refers to the Parties in the UN convention on Climate Change, the UNFCCC. This year’s climate conference was the 26th in a row, and items on the agenda were to secure global net zero emissions by 2050, and to keep a maximum of 1.5 degrees warming within reach.