United Nations: COP26

Designing and delivering COP26 in Glasgow

Wide-angle view of the COP26 conference venue in Glasgow, featuring delegate networking areas, exhibition spaces and a suspended globe installation.

COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference, was held at the Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow from 31 October to 13 November 2021, hosted by the UK Government.

Key stats

120

World leaders hosted at COP26 in Glasgow

40,000+

In-person delegates and 5,000 virtual attendees across the Blue and Green Zones

2,700+

Meetings facilitated across a site Identity designed, built, and operated end-to-end

<8 months

To plan a post-pandemic summit with no precedent

Delegates walking through the COP26 Glasgow conference venue past branded displays, greenery and exhibition installations.

The challenge

COP26 was unlike anything that had come before. The largest event ever hosted by the UK Government, it brought together 120 world leaders, 40,000 delegates, and a global virtual audience, against the backdrop of a pandemic that was still reshaping what live events could be. There was no playbook. Identity had to write one.

Approach

Identity took full ownership of the Blue and Green Zones, designing, building, and operating every element of the conference environment. With under eight months to deliver, the team worked in lockstep with the UK Government and the United Nations. The aim was an experience that was secure, accessible, sustainable and broadcast-ready for a worldwide audience.

COP26 delegates working and networking at tables surrounded by UN Climate Change Conference UK 2021 branding in Glasgow.

Large illuminated globe suspended above a COP26 conference stage and delegate networking area in Glasgow.

Result

COP26 was delivered on time, on brief, and to a standard that redefined what a government-hosted mega-event could look like. Over 2,700 meetings were facilitated across the site. The hybrid format reached thousands more beyond Glasgow. Identity’s delivery became the gold standard for accessible, sustainable, large-scale international events, a blueprint that will shape the format for years to come.