Welcome to the first episode of our new Race To Zero series! With COP26 as the vital milestone for climate action in November 2021, the promises and pledges made by governments must be converted into meaningful action beginning today. We know the EU, the UK and many other countries have net zero pledges but can they achieve them without a global collective effort?  And it’s not just up to governments - history has shown that political actors need the real economy to place wind in their sails. So with everything on the line and the clock ticking, the Race to Zero has no separation between winners and losers, and failure is NOT an option. Joined this week by Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP, President-Designate of COP26, Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of UNFCCC, Mary Anne Hitt, National Director of Campaigns for The Sierra Club, and Nigel Topping, High Level Climate Action Champion for COP26, we get a first hand look at what is at stake, who is stepping up, and how everyone can join the race to a better future. And we’ll find out why COP26 is not just a 2 week event in November, but a race that has already begun.   —   Guests this week   Alok Sharma Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP, COP President Designate Twitter | Instagram   Patricia Espinosa Title: Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC Twitter   Mary Anne Hitt National Director of Campaigns, Sierra Club Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn   Nigel Topping  High Level Climate Action Champion for COP26 Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram    —   UNFCCC Twitter | Instagram   Race to Zero Twitter | LinkedIn   Sierra Club Twitter | Instagram   COP26 - UN Climate Change Conference Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn — Keep up with Christiana Figueres here: Instagram | Twitter  — Tom Rivett-Carnac: Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn — Paul Dickinson is on LinkedIn! LinkedIn — Follow @GlobalOptimism on social media! Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn Don't forget to hit SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss another episode of Outrage + Optimism!