London, 15 November – Every year, the annual UN climate conference heralds two weeks of intergovernmental pantomime.Without fail, we are told that time is running out, that it’s one minute to midnight, that we are drinking in the last chance saloon, and that it’s the last chance to save the world from doomsday.

There is an uncanny sense of deja vu.

We at Net Zero Watch have been pointing out that every COP passes through the same stages, ending in ultimate failure. They have degenerated into a meaningless ritual, which makes the participants feel good about themselves but in practice achieves little or nothing.

Which is why we predicted with great confidence many months ago that there would be no breaking of the mould at Glasgow 2021, and that the great conclave of climate cardinals would end in dismal failure.

And how right we were. From the arrival of the very first delegates, it was just as we said it would be. Check out our updated history of the COPs, which shows how Glasgow 2021 has followed exactly the same pattern, exactly the same path to dismal failure as COPs 1 to 25 did. Isn’t it time that someone called a halt and a re-think?

It is, but it won’t happen. That being the case, we expect to see it all over again next year in Egypt.

COP26: Cop-Out in Glasgow (pdf)