Ahead of COP26, TEDxGlasgow hosted its annual live event, which featured six climate activist speakers and officially launched the partner's Climate Action Initiative in front of 250 guests.  

The Climate Action Initiative brings together a group of 18 diverse businesses from the public and private sectors with the ultimate goal of collaborating to tackle climate change and accelerate positive action.  

Unlike other TEDx events, TEDxGlasgow has gone one step further in sharing Ideas Worth Doing and hosting one pivotal annual event.  

Every month since June, some of the world's biggest brands in automotive, food, technology and telecoms have come together with the Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council and regional enterprises to establish opportunities for collaboration that achieve more together in the race to Net Zero.  

Hannah Wright, Head of Partnerships for TEDxGlasgow, who launched the initiative at the conference, commented, 

"The concept behind TEDxGlasgow's Climate Action Initiative is to offer our partners the opportunity to engage with new ideas and share solutions to challenges that they all face when transitioning to a carbon-free, sustainable business".  

Hosted by TEDxGlasgow and strategic partner Liminal, the Climate Action Initiative enables partners to come together each month to share ideas and discuss and debate topics, providing a platform of open conversation and thought leadership. 

At this year's conference, every speaker shared Ideas Worth Doing on various subjects interconnected with tackling climate change. The theme of Make or Break saw one core message run throughout every talk: collaboration is essential to creating positive change, and the need to work together to help save the planet.  

Throughout the afternoon, six speakers gave a profoundly personalised TEDx talk on the solutions and ideas in tackling climate change     

John Elkington - described as the 'true green business guru' - talked about how the power of the boards can influence change, how we are all part of a caterpillar economy, and the effects of action and lack of action have on future generations.

Environmental, social scientist Adam Dorr spoke of an exciting time ahead with major positive transitions in the transportation, energy and food industries. 

While Fiona Morgan, Global Director of Impact and Purpose, presented the audience with a carbon-free world of sport where teams and fans could lead the way in tackling climate change. 

We also heard from Charmian Love, Co-Founder and Activist in Residence at B Lab UK, Jarvis Smith, founder of My Green Pod and our TEDxGlasgow founder interviewed Chief Executive of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, Mike Robinson.

Gurjit Singh Lalli, Curator & Founder of TEDxGlasgow, explains the aim of this year's conference. 

"We wanted to encourage our partner organisations and supporters of the city's TEDx to reduce their carbon-intensive practices and trigger individual actions that work towards a climate solution; this event has offered that and more."

Zebunisa Ahmed, Head of Strategy for TEDxGlasgow, says “We know people want to see faster action on climate solutions as much as we do at TEDxGlasgow, and our Make or Break campaign aims to showcase ideas for climate solutions that everyone can be part of and ensure climate justice is collaborated on successfully.”

The TEDxGlasgow event was considered a pivotal conference towards accelerating positive change, and the start of the Climate Action Initiative.