Britain, which recently hosted the COP26 UN climate conference and will continue leading efforts through to the 2022 gathering in Egypt, is being urged to collaborate with activists and environmentally conscious businesses to adjust plans and maintain pressure on countries that are falling behind in climate action. This could involve expanding funding programs to help countries like South Africa transition away from coal, as well as increasing political pressure on nations like Australia, Russia, and Brazil to be more ambitious in their climate goals. According to Richard Black of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius is currently at risk, and he emphasized the need for concrete actions and policies rather than just pledges. The summit, which concluded on Saturday, made some significant commitments, such as increasing financing for climate adaptation, reducing coal power, cutting fossil fuel subsidies, and halting deforestation by 2030. However, activist groups criticized the outcomes as insufficient to address the climate crisis. Emissions reduction goals for 2030 are expected to result in a 2.4C temperature rise, well above the 1.5C target recommended by experts. Despite these concerns, the government of Bangladesh, representing the Climate Vulnerable Forum, noted that the talks had made progress. After the meeting in Glasgow, a statement emphasized the importance of recognizing the urgency of the situation and highlighted the need for hard work to begin at home. Mark Watts, executive director of the C40 Cities network, stressed the importance of achieving significant progress in climate action on the ground. Following the departure of world leaders from Glasgow, others are now responsible for continuing the work. The Glasgow Climate Pact calls for countries to return by the end of 2022 with more ambitious plans to reduce emissions by 2030 to maintain the 1.5C goal. This is a departure from the previous requirement under the 2015 Paris Agreement for nations to update their carbon-reducing plans every five years. Chris Stark, head of Britain's independent Climate Change Committee, stated that the pressure for faster action on climate change, in addition to demands from climate activists and businesses seeking clearer market signals for green transitions, is causing leaders to feel pressured to take action. Emma Pinchbeck, CEO of Energy UK, noted that the Glasgow deal's inclusion of references to phasing down coal and fossil fuel subsidies sends a strong signal to businesses. Analysts believe that this could lead to shifts in private investment that will have a greater impact on emissions than government climate finance. However, Pinchbeck expressed concerns about the reliance on offsetting emissions rather than reducing them, as outlined in the long-awaited rules for carbon markets agreed upon in Glasgow. She emphasized that the effectiveness of carbon trading systems in reducing global emissions remains uncertain. One notable change observed at the COP26 talks, according to her, is that more leaders have recognized not only the tangible threat of climate change in their own countries, but also the growing calls for action from a wider range of society. "Countries now understand the physical threat of climate change, as well as the social and business pressures pushing for action," she explained. Amber Rudd, a former UK secretary of state for energy and climate change, emphasized the importance of maintaining public pressure for climate action, particularly as politicians consider the implications of more rapid emissions reductions on their chances of re-election. She noted that leaders often prioritize future climate action that falls outside their current term, or NIMTOO (not in my term of office). "Politicians are aware of what needs to be done," she concluded. She mentioned that the politicians are unsure about how to secure re-election once they are in office, but clear public support for climate action could ease this concern.