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Town Centre Shop Live-streams United Nation’s Climate Change Conference ‘COP26’

Published on: 2 Nov, 2021
Updated on: 3 Nov, 2021

By Hugh Coakley

Zero, the new shop at the bottom of North Street, is live streaming the COP26 proceedings for people to drop in and watch it on a giant screen over a cup of coffee or tea.

“What’s going on in Glasgow is important for people in Guildford” said David Carpenter-Lomax, a trustee of the charity Zero Carbon Guildford which is running the “new community space set up to drive a community-led climate action plan“.

People can drop in for a coffee and see the COP26 proceedings being live streamed in the refurbished shop at the bottom of North Street.

COP26 (the 26th “Conference of the Parties”), a United Nations summit about climate change and how countries are planning to tackle it, has over 200 countries and their leaders attending.

It has been called the “last chance saloon” by Prince Charles in his address to the world leaders. David Attenborough has called for countries to “turn tragedy into triumph”.

Guildford resident Li McEwan said she was concerned about the effects of the changing climate. She said: “I hope lots of people come in, have a cup of tea and a chat about what’s happening.

“Climate change is depressing on one level but it’s also exciting because we have so many opportunities as well.”

“People have been curious” said Zero Carbon Guildford trustee, David Carpenter-Lomax.

A Guildford resident in the shop said: “We were in Guildford and we just popped in to see what was going on. It looks really nice here. I hope more people get to know about it.

“Climate change is important and there aren’t many people who don’t agree with that statement now. COP26 will have an effect but I think it won’t be enough.”

The new Zero shop in 14-16 Friary Street has transformed the desolate corner, empty since 2018.

Zero Carbon volunteers have transformed the shop at 14-16 Friary Street into a bright, airy space with plenty of tables and comfortable seats. The shop and area around it had been looking desolate since New Look left in 2018.

They want to use the refurbished shop for “seminars, workshops, and events exploring the ways we can make Guildford a pioneering town in eliminating waste, reducing Guildford’s emissions footprint, and improving community wellbeing”.

David Carpenter-Lomax said it was the first day they had opened. “We have been busy. People have been curious to see what’s been done to the shop.”

Countdown clock outside the new shop, Zero, showing time left to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees C.

Zero will be streaming all the COP26 sessions up to November 12 when the conference is due to end.

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