COP26 Climate Change Conference

Many other famous faces played their part in the conference, including climate activists, cultural leaders and members of the Royal Family. These included former US President Barack Obama, Prince Charles, Sir David Attenborough and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

A total of 38,457 delegates attended the event over the two-week duration, confirming its status as the largest in history. A global event of this scale triggered thousands of people movements across a whole network of transport and security hubs, conference sites and fringe venues.

THE CHALLENGE

The COP26 Climate Change Conference was a huge undertaking necessitating the delivery of a carbon-neutral solution, in line with the event’s ethos to help tackle climate change and protect our planet for future generations.

Our 360 Solutions team supported Stadium Management to deliver the three-year programme of the VIP & Venue Transport Operations within the major events team in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). The first of these events was the G7 Summit in St Ives, Cornwall, in June 2021, followed by COP26 in November. Our 360 team was also contracted to Identity and Atalian Service for this event, which was built off the back of our outstanding work we undertook for Stadium Management Ltd for G7.

THE SOLUTION

Working for Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) main contractors, Stadium Management Ltd, Identity Group and Atalian Servest, we supported a total of seven customers on 14 sites across a total area spanning 150 miles.

Once Stadium Management Ltd completed the EV strategy for the FCDO and supplied us with our overlay project briefs, our 360 Solutions team working alongside our Sustainable Energy Team developed and worked up the infrastructure solutions in detail for each site from design to build and de-rig.

Our 360 Solutions team engaged in four primary activities for with Stadium Management Ltd, Identity and Atalian Servest, which were crucial for the whole transport delivery:

- The Glasgow Transport Museum was carried out for Atalian Servest, whereby we provided a design, build and maintain catering facility for over 300 Police Officers policing the event.

- Working for Stadium Management Ltd we carried out the following sites:

- Hydro Car Park next to Scottish Event Campus Glasgow, we built the largest DC charging infrastructure to get all 200 battery-electric vehicles charged during the day at the conference.

- In Balloch near Cameron House, we built a bespoke charging hub for around 26 Leaders, situated in the overflow car park at Loch Lomond Shores

- Gleneagles Equestrian Centre, where 40 world leaders were staying, provided one of the largest electric vehicles (EV) charging networks that could cope with charging over 120 electric vehicles at any one time.

- We also designed and built the largest hub outside Glasgow at the Royal Highland Centre in Ingliston, with over 100 World Leaders staying in Edinburgh. This also catered for the Police bikers ‘Special Escort Group’ housed in two large structures with bespoke drying rooms for all their kit. The large structures were powered with Sunbelt’s 500KvA generators powered by HVO.

- We supported the main production company Identity at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery, whereby we designed and installed an interrupted power supply to the live feed broadcast worldwide for this event with and supplied: 

- 57 Cabins
- 43 Access Towers
- 20 Material Lift
- 25 Pallet material Handlers
- 37 Battery and Hybrid MEWPS
- 21 Telescopic Material Handlers

This was a critical part of the conference as Bernhard Garside, the Head of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDOs) VIP and Venue Transport Operations, decided to promote a key conference objective to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles by using electric vehicles for all VIP transport, thus delivering the most sustainable transport and logistics solution possible.

Working with our suppliers, we provided the world’s first completely off-grid, portable EV charge-post solution, powered by innovative battery storage units and backed up by the latest Stage V 500kVA generators to run when required using HVO fuel. All HVO fuel was responsibly sourced locally to ensure minimal Co2 emissions. We were able to build on our previous G7 project learnings with Stadium Management Ltd as we pushed the boundaries with regards HVO power solutions.

All equipment was delivered from our Glasgow operational centre, which is within close proximity to the Scottish Event Campus. The Stage V generators only produce 72dBA of sound at 1m, making them the cleanest, greenest and quietest generators available in the UK at present.

We supplied a fleet of 120 electric or solar-powered machines for the event, following a £60m investment in electric and hybrid machines from JCB. Having successfully trialled our solar lighting towers at the G7 Summit, we provided a total of 55 solar lighting towers for use at the transport hubs and the main COP26 event. Our solar lighting towers further reduced carbon emissions and provided a silent and safe solution for delegates and residents. Our eco-friendly accommodation units were used to provide office space for the duration of the event and were powered by the battery storage units backed up by hybrid generators running on HVO fuel.

We also provided a fleet of 35 electric bikes to Stadium Management Ltd, providing carbon-free travel within the hubs, reducing emissions, and creating a safer working environment by reducing vehicle movements.

The bikes were used by Stadium Management’s Ltd event crew and the United Nations (UN) team. They made international headlines when Prime Minister Boris Johnson rode at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester in October 2021.

We are pleased to have played a part in the planning and delivery of COP26 event achieved certification against ISO 20121:Sustainable Events Management following an audit by BSI, the business improvement and standards company.

We were proud to work with many other partners to make this happen, including Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Stadium Management Ltd, Identity, Atalian Servest/Arthur McKay, Orientation Events, Losberger De Boer, Neptunus Structures, Optima and Department of Health and Social Care Now UKHSA.

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