Summary of Obama speaks at COP26 climate summit | full video

00:00:00 - 00:45:00

President Obama spoke at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, and urged young people to get involved in the fight against climate change. He emphasized the importance of transitioning to clean energy, and noted that it will require patience and cooperation.

• 00:00:00 Six years after he spoke to the United States' climate change conference in Paris, President Obama delivers a speech in Glasgow, Scotland, discussing the progress made in the meantime and outlining the steps necessary to prevent the world from going into a "sixth great extinction." He stresses the importance of individual and collective action in order to avert a global catastrophe, and thanks those in attendance, including former Secretary of State John Kerry.
• 00:05:00 The Obama administration's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have led to significant progress, with more than 700 cities in 50 countries pledging to cut emissions in half by the end of the decade and reach net zero by 2050. The Trump administration's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have been met with resistance, with the president reversing several regulations and efficiency standards. However, despite the hostility from the White House, the American people have managed to continue meeting their commitment under the Paris Agreement. The Obama administration's infrastructure bill, which will spend over half a trillion dollars to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10 billion metric tons by the end of the decade, is expected to pass through Congress in the coming weeks.
• 00:10:00 The Obama administration's COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, saw a number of countries announce ambitious plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The summit was successful in galvanizing international action on climate change. However, many goals set in Paris were not met, and the summit was also unsuccessful in reaching an agreement on how to finance the necessary transition.
• 00:15:00 President Obama addressed the COP26 climate summit and announced that the United States will quadruple its annual climate finance pledge over the next few years. He also announced that the U.S. along with 20 other countries have agreed to stop publicly financing international fossil fuel development with limited exceptions. These commitments are significant, but they are not self-executing and will require effort to be realized.
• 00:20:00 The president speaks about the importance of having an engaged citizenry in order to solve climate change. He emphasizes that it is not a partisan issue, and that everyone needs to be working together. He talks about the importance of the United States having a more vigorous opposition to climate change than other places, but notes that this is changing.
• 00:25:00 President Obama talks to young people about the importance of climate change and how they can help. He shares advice from his mother about how to get started. There are many young people doing important work on climate change, from organizing protests to negotiating changes in laws and constitutions.
• 00:30:00 President Obama spoke at the COP26 climate summit, urging young people to get involved in politics and pressuring companies to take climate change seriously. He also emphasized the importance of voting and urged young people to teach their parents about climate change.
• 00:35:00 President Obama urges people to use their voices to raise awareness about climate change and to persuade those who are indifferent or opposed to the issue to change their minds. He emphasizes the importance of transitioning from dirty energy to clean energy, noting that it has a cost. He emphasizes the importance of workers and communities that still depend on coal for power and jobs, and notes that it is not unreasonable for them to be concerned about maintaining their wages.
• 00:40:00 President Obama gives a speech about the difficulties of transitioning to clean energy and the importance of taking into account the inequities that exist. He stresses the need for patience and cooperation, and concludes by urging young people to stay angry and committed to the cause.
• 00:45:00 President Obama delivers a speech at the COP26 climate summit in Katowice, Poland, discussing the importance of continuing to work together to solve the climate crisis. He urges the audience to be patient and to persevere, quoting William Shakespeare.