The closing session of the TED Countdown Summit in Edinburgh on Friday, October 15, 2021 started with a discussion about the upcoming United Nations climate conference, COP26, which will take place in Glasgow from October 31-November 12, 2021. The discussion -- featuring Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation; and Gonzalo Muñoz, the UN's High Level Climate Action Champion for COP25 -- touched on how the process works and what we can expect from this crucial global gathering.

What to expect from COP26 | Countdown Summit

Seeing the world beyond news headlines: politicians, journalists and researchers share their insights onstage at the TED conference, TEDx events and partner events around the world. You can also download these and many other videos free on TED.com, with an interactive English transcript and subtitles in up to 80 languages. TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading.

News & Politics

When the world goes fully electric, what happens to the cars, tools and livelihoods that rely on fossil fuels? Civil engineer and environmental sociologist Emily Grubert visualizes what a clean energy future will look like, outlining the considerations everyone needs to undertake now as the critical, decades-long transition begins.

What happens to gas stations when the world goes electric? | Emily Grubert

Why aren't more people investing in Africa's green energy? Environmental researcher Rebekah Shirley outlines the continent's immense potential for renewable power and calls for collaborative international investment -- and partnership -- in Africa's climate future. "Let's cut past the talk and focus on unleashing the avalanche of a clean energy future that Africa is ready to deliver," says Shirley.

The clean energy hub of the future | Rebekah Shirley

When he learned of the threat that rising sea levels posed to his coastal hometown of Miami, Florida, eco-artist Xavier Cortada founded a movement around beautifully designed elevation markers highlighting the risk of flood damage. The collaborative art project quickly mobilized action -- and excited some controversy. Watch as Cortada offers a creative vision of community organizing inspired by art that engages, educates and empowers.

A creative approach to community climate action | Xavier Cortada

Neutrality isn't an option when it comes to the fight for personal and political freedom, says world-trotting journalist Christiane Amanpour. Offering context on some of the most significant stories impacting the world today, Amanpour details her experience covering the women-led protests ignited by the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran and shares insights on the war against totalitarianism in Ukraine, revealing realities missing from global reporting. (This conversation, hosted by TED current affairs curator Whitney Pennington Rodgers, was part of an exclusive TED Membership event on November 21, 2022. Visit ted.com/membership to become a TED Member.)

The fight for freedom in Iran and Ukraine | Christiane Amanpour

Land thrives in Indigenous hands, and there are real, tangible ways you can help return what was stolen by colonizers from tribes across North America. Indigenous scholar Lindsey Schneider addresses the ill-gotten legacy of settler colonialism with an introduction to the Land Back movement: the push to return stewardship of the Earth to its rightful guardians and restore balance to ecosystems for generations to come.

What to expect from COP26 | Countdown Summit

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