by Liz Walter

As people from all over the world gather in Glasgow, Scotland for the COP26 climate change summit, I thought it would be nice to look at language connected with this topic. Back in 2019, I wrote a post about collocations connected with climate change. For today’s post, I have looked at the official COP26 website and picked out a selection of words and phrases that are relevant to the conference but which are also useful in a broad range of situations.

A person or country that hosts an event organizes it and provides the place where it is held. An event like a conference brings people together and if you join forces with someone in order to do something, you work together with them to achieve it:

This year, the conference will be hosted by the UK.

The event brought together scientists and politicians from all over the world.

Countries need to join forces to deal with this problem.

When we try to deal with a problem, we tackle it, and if we avert it, we manage to stop it happening. If you get something under control, you manage to limit it or deal with it:

We will have to make huge changes in order to tackle the climate crisis.

Are we too late to avert disaster?

This may be our last chance to get climate change under control.

If you adapt to a situation, you make changes that help you deal with it, and if you secure something such as a goal or an agreement, you get it, often with some difficulty. Net zero is the term we use to describe a situation where the world removes the same quantity of greenhouse gases as it produces:

Governments and businesses need to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

These measures are needed to secure global net zero.

If you phase something out, you gradually stop using or producing it, and if you switch to or transition to something, you start doing it or using it instead of something else:

We need to phase out the use of coal.

Many people are switching to electric vehicles.

We are transitioning to a net zero economy.

If you set out a plan, you say clearly what it is, and if you implement an agreement, you do the thing you have agreed to do. If you step up efforts, you try harder and if you commit to something, you promise to do it:

Businesses need to set out plans for tackling climate change and implement them with speed.

We must all step up our efforts to reduce emissions.

Could you commit to a lower-carbon lifestyle?

I hope you find these words useful, and also that COP26 will really help us tackle the climate change crisis!