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COP 26 – Daily News from the Conference

120 Heads of State Arrive

COP 26 is underway. November 1st 2021 has seen 120 heads of state gather and begin to lay out their views and ambitions to work together, to find solutions to a monumental task - A task to find a way of living in harmony with the life of the world.

Tackling climate change is the focus. Tackling climate change in isolation however will not result in the conclusion that is hoped for. The steps being proposed, if the promises are upheld in the true spirit of the words, will lead to the next necessary stages being possible.

David Attenborough rallied the delegates in saying:

“If working apart we are a force powerful enough to destabilize our planet, surely working together we are powerful enough to save it. In my lifetime I’ve witnessed a terrible decline. In yours, you could, and should, witness a wonderful recovery. That desperate hope, ladies and gentle men, delegates, excellences, is why the world is looking to you, and why you are here”

Prince Charles said that the nations of the world needed to be on a “war footing” in their approach to tackling climate change. President Macron talked about bio-diversity, saying, “Bio-diversity is our best ally in combating climate change”

President Biden asked if God could save the planet, also saying, “There is no time left to hang back… President Biden also talked about a finish line in 2050, with the pledge of “transforming the largest economy in the world into a thriving Net Zero engine.” This ambition was echoed by Canada’s Justin Trudeau

The following is taken from the official UN news for the conference.

Monday 2nd November

Around 120 leaders came together in Glasgow today (Monday) at the start of COP26, launching two weeks of global negotiations to help determine whether humanity can drive forward the urgent action needed to avoid catastrophic climate change.

As the world experiences record temperatures and extreme weather pushing the planet dangerously close to climate catastrophe, the need for urgent action at COP26 has never been clearer.

Addressing leaders at the first major global gathering since the COVID-19 pandemic, COP President Alok Sharma said: “The science is clear that the window of time we have to keep the goal of 1.5℃ alive , and to avoid the worst effects of climate change, is closing fast. But with political will and commitment, we can, and must, deliver an outcome in Glasgow the world can be proud of.”

Leaders were also addressed by poet Yrsa Daley-Ward, whose specially commissioned poem Earth to COP includes the lines: “Anything less than your best is too much to pay. Anything later than now, too little, too late. Nothing will change without you.”

And campaigner, Kenyan environment and climate activist Elizabeth Wathuti who said: “We need you to respond with courage to the climate and ecological crisis…for these next two weeks – which are so critical for the children, for our species, for so many other living beings – let us step into our hearts.”

COP26 brings the major emitting countries face to face with the countries most vulnerable to climate change. The World Leaders Summit will send a clear signal to negotiators to be as ambitious as possible and agree to a negotiated outcome that accelerates action this decade.

The Summit will also underscore that the Paris Agreement is working, with increased commitments on finance, emissions and adaptation as we see the first crank of the Paris Agreement ratchet.

Moving from the promise of Paris, announcements in key sectors will start to show how Glasgow will deliver. This includes new commitments on consigning coal to history, electric cars, reducing deforestation and addressing methane emissions.

Building on the publication of the $100 billion delivery plan, which the Presidency requested the Canadian and German governments lead, finance will remain a key priority. Discussions will centre on how the countries most vulnerable to climate change can access the finance needed to deliver climate adaptation and boost green recovery from the pandemic.

Further to the commitment to mobilise finance, the opening of COP26 saw several new finance announcements to progress action on the $100 billion and address adaptation finance.

The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a funding package, as part of the UK’s Clean Green Initiative, to support the rollout of sustainable infrastructure and revolutionary green technology in developing countries. This includes:

  • A package of guarantees to the World Bank and the African Development Bank to provide £2.2bn ($3bn) for investments in climate-related projects in India, supporting India’s target to achieve 450 GW of renewable energy installed capacity by 2030, and across Africa. 
  • The UK’s development finance institution, CDC, will commit to deliver more than £3bn of climate financing for green growth over the next five years. This will include £200m for a new Climate Innovation Facility to support the scale-up of technologies that will  help communities deal with the impacts of climate change. This is double the amount of climate finance CDC invested in its previous strategy period from 2017-2021.
  • The FCDO-backed Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) will also commit more than £210m in new investment today(MON) to back transformational green projects in developing countries such as Vietnam, Burkina Faso, Pakistan, Nepal and Chad.

Later Prime Minister Johnson will host a roundtable on ‘Action and Solidarity’ bringing campaigners on climate together. This is expected to include Samoan climate campaigner Brianna Fruean, Brazilian climate campaigner Walelasoetxeige Paiter Bandeira Suruí, and Kenyan youth activist Elizabeth Wathuti, together with some of the biggest emitting and climate vulnerable nations to set the tone for negotiations at COP26.

The World Leaders Summit will continue tomorrow with further national statements and Leader events on action on forests and land use and accelerating clean technology, innovation and development.

Tuesday 2nd November

World leaders are in the UK for day three of COP26 where a wide range of announcements focused on signalling a clear shift from ambition to immediate action. Countries have made unprecedented commitments to protect forests, reduce methane emissions and accelerate green technology.

Amid powerful pleas heard in Glasgow yesterday, world leaders, young people and campaigners all stressed the urgency of taking tangible action to keep the prospect of holding back global temperature rises to 1.5C and building resilience to climate impacts.

114 leaders took a landmark step forward at a convening of world leaders on forests by committing to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030. The pledge is backed by $12bn in public and $7.2bn in private funding.

Countries from Canada to Russia to Brazil – which also increased its NDC yesterday – China, Colombia, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo all endorsed the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forest and Land Use.

Together, they support  85% of the world’s forests, an area of over 13 million square miles which absorbs around one third of global CO2 released from burning fossil fuels each year.

This announcement was bolstered with a commitment by CEOs from more than 30 financial institutions with over $8.7 trillion of global assets – including Aviva, Schroders and Axa – committing to eliminate investment in activities linked to deforestation.

Today is also the first time a COP in recent history has hosted a major event on methane, with 105 countries, including 15 major emitters including Brazil, Nigeria and Canada, signing up to the Global Methane Pledge. This historic commitment, led by the US and EU alongside the UK COP26 presidency, equates to up to 40% of global methane emissions and 60% of global GDP.

More than 35 world leaders have also backed and signed up to the new Glasgow Breakthrough Agenda that will see countries and businesses work together to dramatically scale and speed up the development and deployment of clean technologies and drive down costs this decade. Signatories include the US, India, EU, developing economies and some of those most vulnerable to climate change – collectively representing more than 50% of the world’s economy and every region.

The aim is to make clean technologies the most affordable, accessible and attractive choice for all globally in the most polluting sectors by 2030, particularly supporting the developing world to access the innovation and tools needed for a just transition to net zero.

Work will focus on five key sectors – power, road transport, hydrogen, steel and agriculture – which together represent more than half of total global emissions and further demonstrates how countries are moving from commitments to tangible action.

Leaders signed up to the Glasgow Breakthroughs also committed to discussing global progress every year in each sector starting in 2022 – supported by annual reports led by the International Energy Agency in collaboration with International Renewable Energy Agency and UN High Level Champions – and annual discussions of Ministers across government convened around the Mission Innovation and Clean Energy Ministerials. This ‘Global Checkpoint Process’ will seek to sustain and continually strengthen international cooperation across the agenda throughout this decade.

Leaders from South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Germany and the European Union have announced a ground-breaking partnership to support South Africa with an Accelerated Just Energy Transition.

As a first step, the international partnership has announced that $8.5billion can be made available over the next 3-5 years to support South Africa – the world’s most carbon-intensive electricity producer – to achieve the most ambitious target within South Africa’s upgraded and ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution.

A package of support, bringing together private sector finance and public sector expertise to scale-up African climate adaptation projects, providing life-saving support in the face of climate shocks protect the most vulnerable.

Leaders raised the importance of adaptation to the impacts of climate change as a matter of survival. New countries came forward with Adaptation Communications, bringing the number of people covered by them and National Adaptation Plans to 2.3 billion.

Alongside these strong signals from leaders, negotiators continued their crucial work on the systems and rules that underpin delivery. Early drafts of negotiating texts have been tabled on many issues and experts are working to find common ground, energised by the clear political direction from leaders.

COP26 President, Alok Sharma said:

“Forests are one of our best defences against catastrophic climate change, and essential to keeping 1.5C alive. This historic commitment will help end the devastating effects of deforestation and support the developing countries and indigenous communities who are the guardians of so much of the world’s forests.

“The Glasgow Breakthroughs will help move us towards a global tipping point, where the clean, green technologies we need to reach net zero and keep 1.5C alive are more affordable, accessible and attractive for all than the polluting practices we are leaving behind.

“Today’s launch of the Global Methane Pledge is also critical to keeping 1.5C alive. I am proud that COP has played host to a historic pledge which will play a vital role in limiting up to 0.2 degrees of warming across the next decade.”

UN High-Level Climate Champions for COP25 and COP26, Gonzalo Munoz and Nigel Topping, said: 

“More than 18 sectors of the global economy have already achieved critical momentum, with key private sector actors mobilizing behind the breakthroughs necessary to achieve a net-zero world in time. Now, with more than 35 world leaders signing up to the Breakthrough Agenda, governments across the world will help dramatically scale and speed up the race to zero emissions and deliver the promise of the Paris Agreement. This is what the future of COP is all about – catalysing an innovative ambition loop between political leadership and the dynamism of the private sector to drive towards a resilient, prosperous zero carbon future.”

Also at COP today, world leaders, CEOs and philanthropists are expected to launch a series of new initiatives in support of the Glasgow Breakthroughs, including:

  • The launch of the UK-India led Green Grids Initiative – One Sun One World One Grid, endorsed by over 80 countries, to mobilise political will, finance and technical assistance needed to interconnect continents, countries and communities to the very best renewable sources of power globally to ensure no one is left without access to clean energy.
  • The Rockefeller Foundation, alongside IKEA Foundation and Bezos Earth Fund, launched the Global Energy Alliance for People & Planet with an initial $10 billion of funding from philanthropies and development banks to support energy access and the clean energy transition in the Global South, in strategic partnership with the UK-led Energy Transition Council.
  • AIM4C, a new initiative led by the US and UAE, with over 30 supporting countries, committed to accelerating innovation in sustainable agriculture, having already garnered $4 billion in increased investment in climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation, including $1bn from the US.
  • The Breakthrough Energy Catalyst, headed by Bill Gates, programme aiming to raise $3bn in concessional capital to catalyse up to $30bn of investments in bring down clean technology costs and create markets for green products for green hydrogen, Direct Air Capture, long-duration energy storage and sustainable aviation fuel including £200m of UK support.
  • The First Movers Coalition, a US-led buyers club of 25 major global companies making purchasing commitments to help commercialise key emerging clean technologies across hard-to-decarbonise sectors like steel, trucking, shipping, aviation, aluminium, concrete, chemicals, and direct air capture

Two days into COP26, progress is already being made. Yesterday saw India, Thailand, Nepal, Nigeria and Vietnam make new net zero pledges which now means that 90% of the global economy is covered by net zero commitments. India’s announcement also included a suite of ambitious 2030 commitments, including  500GW non fossil fuel power capacity, 50% energy requirements from renewable sources and 45% reduction of the carbon intensity of the economy. We’ve heard new NDC announcements from: Argentina, Brazil, Guyana, India, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique and Thailand and new Long-Term Strategies announced or submitted by Jamaica, Kazakhstan and the USA. On climate finance, we’ve seen new commitments from: Ireland, Spain, Australia and Luxembourg.

Wednesday 3rd November

Finance Ministers, International Finance Institutions and the financial sector are meeting at COP26 today to get global finance flowing for climate action.

Mobilising finance is critical if we are to deliver the urgent action we need to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C. Trillions of dollars of additional investment a year are needed to secure a low-carbon future and support countries already living with the devastating impacts of climate change.

COP26 President Alok Sharma said:

Today, there is more public and private finance for climate action than ever before.

But to meet the commitments made in the Paris Agreement and keep 1.5 alive, we need developed countries to deliver on public finance, and to unleash the trillions required in private investment to create a net zero future and protect lives and livelihoods from the devastating effects of climate change.

“That is why we have made finance such a key focus of COP26, why these new commitments from nations and the private finance sector are so welcome, and why we continue to push for countries to do more to meet their finance obligations. Countries are telling us what they need, now global finance needs to respond.”

Meeting the $100 billion commitment and financing adaptation:

Countries made new commitments to increase finance to support developing countries to deal with the impacts of climate change, including a commitment from Norway to triple its adaptation finance, commitments from Japan and Australia to double their adaptation finance, and commitments from Switzerland, the US and Canada for the Adaptation Fund.

This included the largest US adaptation finance commitment to date, to reduce climate impacts on those most vulnerable to climate change worldwide. While Canada committed to allocate 40% of its climate finance to adaptation.

New commitments for climate financing also came from the United Kingdom, Spain, Japan, Australia, Norway, Ireland and Luxembourg, that build on the plan set out ahead of COP26 to deliver the $100 billion per year to developing countries.

To combat the difficulties many countries face with the bureaucracy of securing climate investment, £100 million in new funding from the United Kingdom was announced today to support the approach of the Taskforce on Access to Climate Finance, co-chaired by the UK and Fiji.

The taskforce launched a partnership with five ‘pioneer countries’ – Bangladesh, Fiji, Jamaica, Rwanda and Uganda – to support them and their local communities to get the finance they need for their climate plans.

Further commitments are expected over the coming days, including on adaptation. COP will also see the launch of discussions on a new global finance goal to replace the $100 billion goal from 2025.

Public finance for a net zero future:

Demonstrating the direct benefits of what public climate financing can achieve: leaders from South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Germany and the European Union yesterday announced a ground-breaking partnership to support South Africa with an accelerated just energy transition.

As a first step, the international partnership announced that $8.5 billion can be made available over the next 3-5 years to support South Africa – the world’s most carbon-intensive electricity producer – to achieve the most ambitious emissions reduction target within its upgraded and ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution.

Mobilizing private finance:

Finance Ministers also discussed that the billions of dollars in public finance must be used to leverage the trillions of dollars in private finance needed for a climate resilient, net zero future, and how to support developing countries to access that finance.

The United States, the European Commission and the UK also committed to work in partnership with countries to support a green and resilient recovery from COVID-19 and boost investment for clean, green infrastructure in developing countries.

The UK also committed £576 million at COP for a package of initiatives to mobilise finance into emerging markets and developing economies, including £66 million to expand the UK’s MOBILIST programme, which helps to develop new investment products which can be listed on public markets and attract different types of investors.

Initiatives announced by the World Bank Group and Asian Development Bank will share risk with developing countries and aim to raise up to $8.5 billion in new finance in support of climate action and sustainable development. There was also the launch of an innovative new financing mechanism – the Climate Investment Funds’ Capital Markets Mechanism (CCMM) that will boost investment into clean energy like solar and wind power in developing countries.

Aligning private finance to net zero:

Private financial institutions also took a major step to ensure that existing and future investments are aligned to the global goal of net zero.

Thirty five countries agreed to mandatory actions to ensure that investors have access to reliable information about climate risk to guide their investments into greener areas. And to ensure common standards, 36 countries welcomed the announcement of a new international body, the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB).

Over $130 trillion of private finance is now committed to science-based net zero targets and near term milestones, through the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero, led by Mark Carney. GFANZ members are required to set robust, science-based near-term targets within 12-18 months of joining, and more than 90 of the founding institutions have already done so. A key focus of GFANZ is supporting developing countries and emerging markets.

The UK Chancellor also announced plans to make the UK’s financial centre aligned to net-zero. Under the proposals, there will be new requirements for UK financial institutions and listed companies to publish net zero transition plans that detail how they will adapt and decarbonise as the UK moves towards to a net zero economy by 2050.

Thursday 4th November

Coal is being consigned to history today at COP26, as countries, banks and organisations move away from the single biggest contributor to climate change.

A just transition to clean energy and the rapid phase-out of coal has been at the heart of the COP26 Presidency as part of its efforts to minimise temperature rises in line with the Paris Agreement. The breadth of commitments in Glasgow today at Energy Day signal the world is moving towards a renewable future.

At least 23 nations made new commitments to phase out coal power, including Indonesia, Vietnam, Poland, South Korea, Egypt, Spain, Nepal, Singapore, Chile and Ukraine.  In a new ‘Global Coal to Clean Power Transition Statement’, countries also committed to scaling up clean power and ensuring a just transition away from coal.

Today’s announcements follow a collapse in the financing of coal, as developed nations have pledged new support to help developing countries make the transition to clean energy.

Banks and financial institutions also made landmark commitments at COP26 today to end the funding of unabated coal, including major international lenders like HSBC, Fidelity International and Ethos.

This follows recent announcements from China, Japan and South Korea to end overseas coal financing which now means all significant public international financing for coal power has effectively ended.

In addition, a group of 25 countries including COP26 partners Italy, Canada, the United States and Denmark together with public finance institutions have signed a UK-led joint statement committing to ending international public support for the unabated fossil fuel energy sector by the end of 2022 and instead prioritising support for the clean energy transition.

Collectively, this could shift an estimated $17.8 billion a year in public support out of fossil fuels and into the clean energy transition. Developing countries including Ethiopia, Fiji and the Marshall Islands offered their support, signalling growing unity. This is an inclusive agenda that must recognise the development and energy needs of all economies.

This is a historic step. It is the first time a COP presidency has prioritised this issue and put a bold end date on international fossil fuel finance. COP26 has set a new gold standard on the Paris Alignment of international public finance and sends a clear signal for private investors to follow. Today, 28 new members also signed up to the world’s largest alliance on phasing out coal. The Powering Past Coal Alliance, launched and co-chaired by the UK and Canada. New members include Chile and Singapore, joining more than 160 countries, sub-nationals and businesses.

And 20 new countries, including Vietnam, Morocco and Poland committed to building no new coal plants, matching similar announcements over the past year by Pakistan, Malaysia and the Philippines, and building on the No New Coal Power Compact launched in September by Sri Lanka, Chile, Montenegro and European partners.

There has been a 76% drop in the number of new coal plants planned globally over the last six years since the Paris Agreement was adopted. This equates to the cancellation of more than 1000GW of new coal plants.

In separate announcements, major emerging economies today took significant steps to move from coal to clean power. India, Indonesia, the Philippines and South Africa announced partnerships with the Climate Investment Funds to accelerate their transitions away from coal power, backed by a dedicated $2 billion facility. Indonesia and the Philippines announced pioneering partnerships with the Asian Development Bank to support the early retirement of coal plants.

These followed the ground-breaking $8.5 billion deal to support South Africa’s just transition to clean energy announced at the World Leaders Summit on Tuesday.

COP26 President, Alok Sharma said:

“From the start of the UK’s Presidency, we have been clear that COP26 must be the COP that consigns coal to history.  With these ambitious commitments we are seeing today, the end of coal power is now within sight.

Securing a 190-strong coalition to phase out coal power and end support for new coal power plants and the Just Transition Declaration signed today, show a real international commitment to not leave any nation behind.

Together we can accelerate access to electricity for more than three quarters of a billion people who currently lack access, consigning energy poverty to history as we create the clean power future needed to keep 1.5 alive.”

Gonzalo Muñoz and Nigel Topping, High Level Climate Action Champions said:

With 80% growth in their capacity commitment—from 25 to 45 gigawatts of electrolysis—in one year, the Green Hydrogen Catapult and its members demonstrate the near-term potential for exponential growth in green hydrogen, enabled by local and global policy support and rapidly growing customer interest.

It is fantastic to see the ambition in renewables deployment, with Race to Zero members committing to reaching over 750GW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2030. This will only grow as more energy companies join the Race to Zero emissions, and decarbonisation ambitions continue to increase, reflecting the exponential progress we have seen to date in the sector.

Other announcements on Energy Day included:

  • A strategic partnership between the Energy Transition Council and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP). The GEAPP, announced on 2 November with $10 billion funding from philanthropies and development banks, aims to deliver clean, renewable energy to 1 billion people in developing and emerging economies and create 150 million green jobs by 2030.  The partnership will include up to £25 million from GEAPP to support the Energy Transition Council’s Rapid Response Facility.
  • Fourteen countries including India, Indonesia, Japan and Nigeria committed to the largest ever increase in product efficiency by signing up to a global goal of doubling the efficiency of lighting, cooling, motors and refrigeration by 2030 with support from the Climate Group’s EP100 initiative of 129 businesses.
  • The launch of the Africa and Latin America Green Hydrogen Alliances with membership from six African countries and five Latin American countries. They aim to kickstart development of millions of metric tons of production of reliably near-zero-carbon green hydrogen to be used in domestic and international industries worldwide.

Friday 5th November

Young climate leaders came together in Glasgow today with negotiators, officials and ministers from across the world, making their voices heard and demanding the action needed to prevent catastrophic climate change in our lifetimes.

Events across COP26 focused on harnessing the expertise of young people and putting their views directly to the negotiators and officials working to agree global action on climate change.

The day was co-chaired by YOUNGO, the Official Children’s and Youth constituency of the UNFCCC which opened with a session called Unifying for Change: Global Youth voice at COP26.

YOUNGO also presented the COY16 Global Youth Position statement, representing the views of over 40,000 young climate leaders from across the world. The statement presented their priorities directly to Ministers, including action on climate finance, mobility and transportation, through to wildlife protection conservation.

COP26 President Alok Sharma said:

Wherever I have been in the world, I have been struck by the passion and the commitment of young people to climate action. The voices of young people must be heard and reflected in these negotiations here at COP. The actions and scrutiny of young people are key to us keeping 1.5 alive and creating a net-zero future.

I am also aware of the fear and anxiety many of them feel about the future of the planet, including my own children. That is why we must act on the COY16 Global Youth Position Statement from COY16 and the manifesto from the Milan Youth4Climate Summit.

YOUNGO Global Focal Points, Heeta Lakhani and Marie-Claire Graf said:

YOUNGO has been working closely with the U.K. Presidency and the UNFCCC Secretariat to co-design Youth and Public Empowerment Day. We successfully profiled global youth voices through the COY16 Global Youth Statement, and brought together four generations to share best practice examples of achieving climate justice collectively.

Ending the day, COP26 President, Alok Sharma and Italian Minister of Ecological Transition, Roberto Cingolani will join young people and Ministers to discuss the manifesto developed by 400 young people at the Youth4Climate: Driving Ambition Summit held in Milan in September.

Today the UK also announced its draft Sustainability and Climate Change strategy to equip and empower young people with the skills they need to drive the future of climate action. This includes the introduction of a Primary Science Model Curriculum, to include an emphasis on nature and the recognition of species, supporting the youngest pupils to develop conservation skills.

Education Ministers from around the world also pledged to do the same with nations such as, South Korea, Albania and Sierra Leone pledging to put climate change at the heart of their curriculums.

COP26 follows a huge range of youth events and conferences across the world, including the Youth4Climate Summit Milan in September and the 16th UN Conference of Youth (COY16) in Glasgow last week.

Education:

The UK and Italy, in partnership with UNESCO, Youth4Climate and Mock COP co-ordinated new global action to equip future generations with the knowledge and skills to create a net-zero world.

As Education Ministers and young people gathered together, over 23 countries put forward impressive national climate education pledges, ranging from decarbonising the school sector to developing school resources.

The event also unveiled a new statement titled, ‘learn for our planet: act for the climate’ which committed countries to revisit progress made on their pledges in advance of COP27.

The UK also announced a new £85,000 research grant to support the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre to produce better information on the education needs of refugee children and enable a more effective international response.

The announcement was made by Helen Grant MP, Special Envoy for Girls’ Education, at an event with Sierra Leone’s Minister for Education, Hon. Dr David Sengeh, Education Cannot Wait, and UNHCR.

Public empowerment:

Civil society, business leaders and ministers also joined together in a special session to discuss how all parts of society must be brought on board with the action needed on climate change.

This event coincided with negotiations on Action for Climate Empowerment, a UNFCCC agenda item aimed at setting the direction on climate education and public empowerment, and facilitating coordination between countries and non-state actors.

Today’s events signified how young climate leaders are an unstoppable force, equipped with bringing together young policy experts from frontline communities to put forward their pressing climate priorities.

Saturday 6th November

Nations and businesses commit to create sustainable agriculture and land use

  • 45 governments pledge urgent action and investment to protect nature and shift to more sustainable ways of farming.
  • 95 high profile companies from a range of sectors commit to being ‘Nature Positive’, agreeing to work towards halting and reversing the decline of nature by 2030.
  • Today marks end of week one of COP26, with negotiations gathering pace.

Governments and businesses are joining farmers and local communities today at COP26, securing new agreements to protect nature and accelerate the shift to sustainable agriculture and land use practices by making them more attractive, accessible and affordable than unsustainable alternatives.

Alongside the events marking Nature and Land Use Day, today marks the end of week one of COP26, with negotiations gathering pace and work focussing on week two.

Twenty-six nations set out new commitments to change their agricultural policies to become more sustainable and less polluting, and to invest in the science needed for sustainable agriculture and for protecting food supplies against climate change, laid out in two ‘Action Agendas’. All continents were represented, with countries including India, Colombia, Vietnam, Germany, Ghana, and Australia.

Examples of national commitments aligned with this agenda include:

  • Brazil’s plan to scale its ABC+ low carbon farming programme to 72m hectares, saving 1 billion tonnes of emissions by 2030.
  • Germany’s plans to lower emissions from land use by 25m tonnes by 2030.
  • The UK’s aim to engage 75% of farmers in low carbon practices by 2030.

    • The UK also announced funding of £500m to support the implementation of the Forest, Agriculture and Commodity Trade (FACT) Roadmap that was launched during the World Leaders Summit earlier this week, in which 28 countries are working together to protect forests while promoting development and trade. A further £65 million will support a ‘Just Rural Transition’ to help developing countries shift policies and practices to more sustainable agriculture and food production.

    Commitments made by countries today will help to implement the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use which is now endorsed by 134 countries covering 91% of the world’s forests. The Declaration aims to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030.

    COP26 President, Alok Sharma said:

    If we are to limit global warming and keep the goal of 1.5C alive, then the world needs to use land sustainably and put protection and restoration of nature at the heart of all we do.

    The commitments being made today show that nature and land use is being recognised as essential to meeting the Paris Agreement goals, and will contribute to addressing the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.

    Meanwhile, as we look ahead to negotiations in week two of COP, I urge all parties to come to the table with the constructive compromises and ambitions needed.

    The World Bank will commit to spending $25 billion in climate finance annually to 2025 through its Climate Action Plan, including a focus on agriculture and food systems. In a show of similar commitment from the private sector, almost 100 high-profile companies from a range of sectors committed to becoming ‘Nature Positive’. Commitments include supermarkets pledging to cut their environmental impact across climate and nature-loss and fashion brands guaranteeing the traceability of their materials.

    Representatives from Indigenous and local communities will be participating in events throughout nature day. As stewards of 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity, Indigenous Peoples are leaders in how to develop nature-based, resilient and effective solutions to climate change.

    Nature day also follows the announcement on Ocean Action Day on 5 November of over ten new countries signing up to the ‘30by30’ target to protect 30% of the world’s ocean by 2030. These were: Bahrain, Jamaica, St Lucia, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, India, Qatar, Samoa, Tonga, Gambia and Georgia. The target is now supported by over 100 countries.

Monday 8th November

List of announcements, 8th November:

  • Global leaders commit to a shift towards locally-led adaptation through over 70 endorsements to the Principles for Locally Led Adaptation and over $450m mobilised for initiatives and programmes enhancing locally-led approaches [LIFE-AR, FLLoCA, CRPP and the Taskforce on Access to Finance].
  • Race to Resilience campaign brings together initiatives that are strengthening the urban, coastal and rural resilience of 2 billion people worldwide.
  • New climate providers  have committed to balance through the Champions Group on Adaptation finance.
  • $232 million has been committed to the Adaptation Fund, the highest single mobilisation to the Fund and more than double the previous highest collective mobilisation with a $20m contribution from the UK. Commitments came from from the USA, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, Germany, Norway, Italy, Qatar, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the Quebec and Flanders governments.
  • The UK has announced £290 million in new funding for adaptation today, including £274 million for the Climate Action for a Resilient Asia (CARA) programme.
  • New climate providers have committed to balance through the Champions Group on Adaptation finance.
    • 88 countries are now covered by Adaptation Communications or National Adaptation Plans to increase preparedness to climate risks, with 38 published in the last year.

Press conference opening statement from COP President Alok Sharma:

Welcome everyone to Week Two of COP26.

Today is, as you know, Adaptation and Loss and Damage Day. And these topics, of course, are more important than ever. As we know, over the last year we have seen extreme weather changes across the world. From floods in Central Europe and China, wildfires in North America and Australia, to what some have described as the world’s first climate induced drought in Southern Madagascar.

Nowhere is immune to climate change and this is precisely why we must come together to forge global agreement here in Glasgow, responding to adaptation needs which is vital. Today Ministers are starting their work on the negotiations. Together we face the arduous task of building political consensus between almost 200 countries. Finding consensus is not going to be straightforward. But the progress made last week demonstrates that a constructive spirit amongst negotiators exists. And here in Glasgow we have a unique opportunity to reach an historic outcome and I am committed to bringing countries together. We want to forge an agreement that means we see more action this decade to help keep the limit of 1.5 degree global temperature rise in reach.

Now during the Informal Stocktaking Plenary which was held this morning, I outlined how we will work during this week. I also announced ministerial pairings on key topics. These include: adaptation; loss and damage; finance; keeping 1.5 alive; and of course the key rulebook issues of: Common Time Frames; Article 6 on carbon markets; and transparency. My priority now is pace. There needs to be a sense of urgency in all our negotiations. The science is clear, we have no time to lose, and I will ensure that negotiations proceed in a timely manner. Whilst of course ensuring transparency and inclusivity. Last week countries made commitments which will all help to protect our planet but they must be delivered on and accounted for.

Today, on Adaptation and Loss and Damage Day, the spotlight will be on those nations and communities which are most vulnerable to climate change. Those whose voices are too often left unheard. And we know that even if we stopped polluting our world tomorrow, there will be negative consequences for many millions. And that is why issues such as adaptation are so important. Now I am pleased to see progress on these topics today and particularly welcome the commitments to the Adaptation Fund which will be made in the next few hours; including from the UK, to support vulnerable communities to respond to climate change.

Developed countries and development banks recognise they need to increase levels of finance for adaptation, and I hope we will be able to capture this renewed commitment in the COP26 negotiated outcome. Those of you who have followed this process will know that loss and damage has historically been seen as a polarising issue. But I am encouraged that the mood music has changed somewhat, and there is now a practical recognition that action is needed on this topic, in the face of growing impacts.

The conclusion of discussions within the Subsidiary Bodies on the Santiago Network is a testament to that, and paves the way for greater resources to avert, minimise and address loss and damage. Climate vulnerable communities are particularly at the forefront of my mind, and will be so throughout these negotiations. They, and the generations to come, will not forgive us if we fail to deliver in Glasgow.

Tuesday 9th November

List of announcements, 9th November:

There has been new momentum from around the world to put gender at the forefront of climate action on Gender Day, as countries and non state actors set out gender and climate commitments, including:

  • Bolivia committing to promote the leadership of women and girls, especially indigenous, Afro-Bolivian, community and rural women, through their involvement in sustainable development projects, as well as to reflect gender data in its Nationally Determined Contributions, and to work with UN Women to promote the use of gender breakdowns in official national statistics on environment and climate change.
  • Canada to ensure that 80% of its $5.3 billion climate investments over the next five years target gender equality outcomes.
  • Ecuador committing to strengthen leadership, negotiation, and decision-making capacities within women’s organisations working on climate.
  • Germany announcing a new Gender Strategy under its International Climate Initiative (IKI) which will promote gender-transformative approaches in international climate and biodiversity cooperation.
  • Nigeria expanding on its Implementation Strategy for their National Gender and Climate Action Plan.
  • Sweden announcing new measures to firmly embed gender equality within all their climate action, as mentioned in Sweden’s Climate Policy Action Plan.
  • The UK setting out how £165 million in funding will address the dual challenges of gender inequality and climate change.
  • The USA promoting gender equity and equality in responding to climate change as a priority of its National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality; investing at least $14 million of the Gender Equity and Equality Action Fund toward gender-responsive climate programming; and investing more than $20 million towards initiatives to increase women’s economic opportunities in the clean energy sector, strengthen action on gender-based violence and the environment, address barriers to women’s land rights, and support women farmers in East Africa to adapt to climate impacts.
  • These announcements help build momentum internationally to drive implementation of the Gender Action Plan agreed at COP25, ahead of the sixty-sixth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66) in March 2022 which will focus on gender equality in the context of climate change, the environment and disaster risk reduction.
  • COP26 President Alok Sharma and UK International Champion on Adaptation and Resilience Anne-Marie Trevelyan hosted the Gender Day plenary event accompanied by Little Amal, the 3.5 metre puppet travelling 8,000km in support of refugees. The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, was among other high profile speakers to address the event.
  • Under the Science and Innovation Day, initiatives launched today will enhance international cooperation between governments, academics, businesses and civil society and ensure science and innovation delivers for all in order to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement: 47 countries have committed to building health systems which are able to withstand the impacts of climate change and which are low carbon and sustainable. These include 42 countries, representing over a third of global health care emissions, which have committed to develop a sustainable, low-carbon health system. 12 of these 42 countries have set a deadline of 2050 or earlier, by which their health system will reach net zero.

    • Press conference opening statement from COP President Alok Sharma, 9 November:

    Welcome everyone to Gender, Science and Innovation day. We know that women and girls are disproportionately impacted by climate change, and we cannot allow equality to be a casualty of climate. But women and girls are also leading efforts to tackle climate change in communities around the world.

    In the words of Brianna Fruean, they are not drowning, but fighting, and we must support those efforts.We must enable the full and meaningful participation of women and girls in climate action. So I am very pleased to say that countries and other stakeholders have made announcements today to make climate action gender-responsive.

    I am also very pleased to report that yesterday countries collectively pledged in excess of $232 million to the Adaptation Fund, which will support countries to deal with the impact of a changing climate. Gender and inclusivity run throughout our COP Programme, including Science and Innovation Day. And I have always said it is vital that we follow the facts, and allow science to light the way.

    I’m going to turn now to the negotiations. I am encouraged by countries’ commitments to anchoring science at the heart of the Cover Decision. Yesterday, my lead negotiator, Archie Young, convened Heads of Delegations on the elements of the Cover Decision, that we proposed in our Non-Paper. As I announced at the informal stocktaking plenary yesterday, I have requested pairings of Ministers to support the Presidency in some of the key outstanding issues on which we need to reach agreement. These pairs started their work yesterday and are consulting with a wide group of ministers and negotiators. And then we convened yesterday evening and the Ministerial pairs reported on their discussions.

    The time has now come to find political consensus on the areas of divergence. and we have only a few days left.

    New texts were also tabled on issues including common timeframes, transparency, finance and adaptation. We are making progress at COP26 but we still have a mountain to climb over the next few days. And what has been collectively committed to goes some way, but certainly not all the way, to keeping 1.5C within reach. The gap in ambition has narrowed. Now the world needs confidence that we will shift immediately into implementation, that the pledges made here will be delivered, and that the policies and investment will swiftly follow.

    We have an opportunity to succeed.

    The transition to a resilient zero carbon economy is technologically possible, it is economically attractive and it is accelerating everywhere. And if we successfully manage this will deliver immense benefits for the world. Building on existing mechanisms; transparency and accountability must be at the heart of these commitments.

    So overnight the Presidency will publish the first draft of the Cover Decision. It will likely require negotiating teams to consult their leaders and capitals. We have an urgency to our negotiations so I ask Ministers and negotiators to carry out these consultations expeditiously.

Wednesday 10th November

List of announcements, 10th November:

As one of the Glasgow Breakthroughs at the World Leader Summit, 30 countries have agreed to work together to make zero emission vehicles the new normal by making them accessible, affordable, and sustainable in all regions by 2030 or sooner.

  • A number of emerging markets are agreeing to accelerate the transition to ZEVs in their markets (including India, Rwanda, Kenya)
  • Launch of a new World Bank trust fund that will mobilise $200 million over the next 10 years to decarbonise road transport in emerging markets and developing economies.
  • This goal is guiding the Zero Emission Vehicle Transition Council (ZEVTC), which will today met with distinguished representatives, including experts on the transition in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDEs), to discuss how international collaboration can support a global transition. The ZEVTC will launch its first annual Action Plan, which sets out areas for sustained international cooperation to accelerate the transition during 2022. The US has today joined the UK as a co-chair of the ZEVTC.
  • Nineteen governments have also stated their intent to support the establishment of ‘green shipping corridors’ – zero-emission shipping routes between two ports. This will involve deploying zero-emission vessel technologies and putting alternative fuel and charging infrastructure in place in ports to allow for zero emission shipping on key routes across the globe.
  • The UK has pledged to shift to clean trucks by committing to end the sale of most new diesel trucks between 2035 and 2040.

    • Press conference opening statement from COP President Alok Sharma, 10 November:

    As you’re aware, the first draft of the cover decision texts were published this morning. And earlier this afternoon I hosted a stocktaking plenary, at which the Ministers I have requested to co-facilitate negotiations on some of the key outstanding issues presented their views on progress.

    The science and citizens across the world demand that we are unapologetically high ambitions as a Presidency and the cover decision texts, in our opinion are high ambition and balanced. Of course, texts will change and evolve as countries begin to engage on the details, but our shared commitment to accelerate action this decade must be unwavering. And science must be our compass, and this should spur us on to the highest ambition consensus we can achieve.

    I also want to be clear. We are not seeking to reopen the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement clearly sets out the temperature goal. Well below 2 degrees and pursuing efforts to 1.5 degrees. That is why our overarching goal of “keeping 1.5 degrees within reach” has been our lodestar. We seek to chart a path that is balanced across the three pillars of the Paris Agreement: finance, adaptation and mitigation.

    I will continue to champion finance, as I have done throughout my time in this role, and I have asked developed countries to be flexible in their positions. The task of finalising all texts, including the cover decisions, will be challenging. But we all know what is at risk if we do not reach an ambitious outcome.

    Climate vulnerable countries on the front line of the climate crisis will continue to bear the brunt. Before it engulfs us all. The text on adaptation aims to build our shared capacity to act. Climate change is affecting all of us. Needs are growing and we must respond. We have also included a section on loss and damage. This is a first for this process and I hope that countries will engage constructively.

    Discussions on the Santiago Network in Glasgow suggest that Parties will engage in the right spirit. On mitigation, we know we have made progress on the journey to Glasgow, but the science shows that we can and must go further. The text gives countries the opportunity to agree how they will accelerate action and return to the table with stronger commitments. In addition to the cover decision, texts are still evolving on the rulebook items and finance.

    On Article 6 the text has narrowed and the choices are clear. It will be a matter of political will now to close this outcome. On Transparency, negotiators are moving through the technical work. Transparency underpins the Paris Agreement and is absolutely crucial to delivering on our commitments.

    On common timeframes we are down to two options. And across the board, Ministers are identifying landing grounds. On finance, there remains a lot of work to do but we have seen positive announcements. Such as the $350m in contributions to the adaptation fund and $413m to the LDC Fund. I hope this supports a good atmosphere in negotiations.

    Let me talk a little bit about the process going forward. My head negotiator, Archie Young, will convene a Heads of Delegations meeting this afternoon to take stock of parties detailed views on draft texts. My team and I then intend to review progress across all issues from 7pm this evening. I will meet with co-facilitating Ministers before ministerial and technical co-facilitators publish what I expect to be near-final texts overnight. I will then convene all groups, parties and observers again at 11am tomorrow in plenary to hear views.

    As a presidency we are fully committed to transparency and openness and I have invited parties to reach out to me if they wish to meet outside the formal sessions. As I told the plenary earlier, we have seen a spirit of cooperation and consensus at the summit thus far. It is a can-do spirit that I hope all parties will want to continue to foster over the coming critical days. I still have the intention for us to be able to close COP 26 at the end of Friday.

    Everyone must come armed with the clarity of compromise. We all know what is at stake in these negotiations and indeed the urgency of our task. In very human terms, what we agree in Glasgow will set the tone of the future for our children and grandchildren and I know that no world leader or country will want to fail them.

    Thursday 11th November

    List of announcements: Cities, Regions and Built Environment Day, 11 November

    • The UK today pledged £27.5m of new funding for the new Urban Climate Action Programme (UCAP) to support cities targeting net zero. The programme, funded through International Climate Finance, will support cities across Africa, Asia and Latin America to take climate action and create a sustainable future, by helping them implement innovative climate action plans to become carbon neutral by 2050 and prepare low-carbon infrastructure projects to reduce emissions.
    • UCAP will help cities to implement projects like low-emission public transport systems, renewable energy generation, sustainable waste management, new climate-smart buildings codes and climate risk planning. By showcasing what is possible, city and regional authorities can demonstrate to other cities and national governments the opportunities available to drive action.
    • The programme will be delivered in partnership with the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, a global network of cities focused on climate action, and GIZ, the German development agency.
    • UCAP will build on the flagship Climate Leadership in Cities programme, which successfully supported megacities in Latin America and Asia to develop ambitious climate action plans consistent with the Paris Agreement; including developing pathways to net zero by 2050 and committing to ambitious interim targets by 2030 to keep 1.5 degrees within reach.

      • Press conference opening statement from COP President Alok Sharma, 11 November:

      Thank you very much indeed and good afternoon to everyone. I want to start by noting that today is Remembrance Day, which was marked this morning in the UK Pavilion, and my grateful thanks to all colleagues who joined us to mark our respects for the fallen.

      I want to turn now to the negotiations. Detailed discussions have continued across a whole range of issues over the past 24 hours. Archie Young chaired a meeting with Heads of Delegations yesterday to hear views on the draft cover decisions. I held a range of bilateral meetings with parties and groups, and also received comprehensive briefings last night from my team of co-facilitating Ministers. A tranche of draft decision texts were published early this morning. These include draft texts on Adaptation; on Loss and Damage; on Finance; on the Enhanced Transparency Framework and Article 6.

      I am pleased to say that yesterday, we concluded the discussions on the Global Goal on Adaptation, confirming the forward work programme, and I hope that this will be adopted. Text was also finalised on Response Measures and on the Santiago Network. As you’ll know, I held a Stocktaking Plenary this morning with all parties and observers to set out the collective work programme over the next 24 hours. Now whilst we have made progress, and I want to acknowledge the spirit of cooperation and civility that’s been demonstrated throughout the negotiations, by negotiators and Ministers, we are not there yet on the most critical issues. There is still a lot more work to be done. And COP26 is scheduled to close at the end of tomorrow. So time is running out. As I speak, my Ministerial co-facilitators, other Ministers and negotiators are rolling up their sleeves and working hard to find solutions to some of the most intractable issues. Solutions which have so far evaded us for six years. I’ll be holding meetings later today with all parties to find ways forward on matters specifically related to Finance and Article 6. As I noted at the Plenary, negotiations on finance really need to accelerate. And they need to accelerate now. A further iteration of texts, across a range of issues, will be issued overnight. Having engaged extensively with parties over the past year, and at COP, I know everyone understands what is at stake for the future of our planet here in Glasgow.

      We still have a monumental challenge ahead of us. Collectively we have no choice but to rise to that challenge. And strain every sinew to achieve a timely outcome that we can all be proud of, because ultimately this outcome, whatever it is, will belong to all of us.

    Saturday 13th November

    Alok Sharma’s remarks at the COP26 Closing Plenary.

    Dear Friends, After two years of incredibly hard work we have our Glasgow Climate Pact. This is down to each and every one of you and your teams. Your hard work, your dedication, your willingness to build consensus. I thank you all, and your teams, for your extraordinary and heroic efforts.

    I also want to thank my own incredible team for the past two years, and all the work that has gone into making this conference happen. I also thank our Observers, civil society and young people, for keeping up the pressure, for constantly reminding us, that communities around the world expected us to deliver here in Glasgow. And I thank those most climate vulnerable Parties who never let us forget what is at stake. Parties whose people are already suffering the worst effects of climate change and whose moral authority has powered this process forward.

    Together, over these two weeks, Parties have demonstrated what the world had come to doubt, that countries can rise above their differences to unite against a common challenge, that this multilateral process can deliver. I know that some Parties have sacrificed wording they held dear for the sake of a balanced outcome. I thank them for doing so.

    Just as I thank Parties that have held their nerve under pressure so we can deliver a strong final text. I think we can all be proud of what, collectively, we have delivered. The decisions we have adopted are part of a broader package, which includes what we have achieved together outside these negotiating halls, on nationally determined contributions, adaptation plans, and finance pledges. Not to mention our coalitions on coals and forests and cars  and the work of the High Level Champions.

    Taken together this Package charts a course for the world to deliver on the promises made in Paris. This Glasgow Climate Pact drives action on adaptation. It emphasises the need to act, it sets a clear way forward on the Global Goal on Adaptation, and it urges developed countries to at least double their collective climate finance for adaptation by 2025. It operationalises the Santiago Network on Loss and Damage, finally giving that issue the focus and attention it deserves. It commits to urgently scale up finance, which is the foundation for faster action and confidence we can go further. And it sets out actions to empower and engage all of society in driving forward this transition. Collectively, we have acknowledged that a gulf remains between short term targets, and what is needed to meet the Paris temperature goal. And so our Pact brings Parties back to the table next year to improve their commitments, to drive up ambition across this vital decade. And it emphasises the urgent need to accelerate our efforts to turn targets into action to keep 1.5 within reach. That work must start now.

    We have also, for the first time, adopted text to scale up clean power and phase down dirty coal. And after no less than six years of discussions, we have concluded on those final parts of the Paris Agreement Rulebook, on Article 6, on Common Timeframes, and on transparency. These put in place the rules and systems to keep us accountable and support increased ambition. Their resolution will unleash the full force of what was agreed in Paris. This is real progress in keeping 1.5 degrees within reach. Progress we have made together. But the need for continual action and implementation, to match ambition, must continue throughout the decade.

    Today, we can say with credibility that we have kept 1.5 degrees within reach. But, its pulse is weak. And it will only survive if we keep our promises. If we translate commitments into rapid action. If we deliver on the expectations set out in this  Glasgow Climate Pact to increase ambition to 2030 and beyond. And if we close the vast gap that remains, as we must. Because as Prime Minister Mia Mottley told us at the start of this conference, for Barbados and other small island states, “two degrees is a death sentence”. Friends, it is up to all of us to sustain our lodestar of keeping 1.5 degrees within reach. To continue our efforts to get finance flowing and boost adaptation.

    After the collective dedication which has delivered the Glasgow Climate Pact, our work here cannot be wasted. The drive towards 1.5, for a cleaner, healthier, more prosperous and more resilient world must continue. And we must continue that together. At the start of this summit the world was asking: Do the parties assembled here in Glasgow have the courage to rise to the scale of the challenge?

    My friends, you have responded. We have responded. History has been made here in Glasgow. We must now ensure that the next chapter charts the success of the commitments we have solemnly made together in the Glasgow Climate Pact.

    COP26 keeps 1.5C alive and finalises Paris Agreement

    • COP26 ends with global agreement to accelerate action on climate this decade
    • Two weeks of intense negotiations finally complete the Paris Rulebook
    • For the first time COP agrees position on phasing down unabated coal power
    • The Glasgow Climate Pact caps two years of diplomacy and ambition raising

    COP26 has today concluded in Glasgow with nearly 200 countries agreeing the Glasgow Climate Pact to keep 1.5C alive and finalise the outstanding elements of the Paris Agreement. Climate negotiators ended two weeks of intense talks on Saturday with consensus on urgently accelerating climate action. The Glasgow Climate Pact, combined with increased ambition and action from countries, means that 1.5C remains in sight, but it will only be delivered with concerted and immediate global efforts.

    The Glasgow Climate Pact will speed up the pace of climate action. All countries agreed to revisit and strengthen their current emissions targets to 2030, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), in 2022. This will be combined with a yearly political roundtable to consider a global progress report and a Leaders summit in 2023.

    The Paris Rulebook, the guidelines for how the Paris Agreement is delivered, was also completed today after six years of discussions. This will allow for the full delivery of the landmark accord, after agreement on a transparency process which will hold countries to account as they deliver on their targets. This includes Article 6, which establishes a robust framework for countries to exchange carbon credits through the UNFCCC. And for the first time, heeding calls from civil society and countries most vulnerable to climate impacts, the COP agreed action on phasing down fossil fuels. COP decisions went further than ever before in recognising and addressing loss and damage from the existing impacts of climate change. There were also commitments to significantly increase financial support through the Adaptation Fund as developed countries were urged to double their support to developing countries by 2025.

    The final COP26 text follows two years of intense diplomacy and campaigning undertaken by the UK Presidency to raise ambition and secure action from almost 200 countries. Work focussed on driving short term reduction of emissions to limit temperature rises to 1.5C, mobilising both public and private finance, and supporting communities to adapt to climate impacts.

    When the UK took on the COP26 mantle, in partnership with Italy, nearly two years ago, only 30% of the world was covered by net zero targets. This figure is now at around 90%. Over the same period, 154 Parties have submitted new national targets, representing 80% of global emissions.

    The UK Presidency has also been focused on driving action to deliver emissions reductions. We have seen a huge shift in coal, with many more countries committing to phase out unabated coal power and ending international coal financing. Alongside this, we have seen a marked commitment to protect precious natural habitats, with 90% of the world’s forests covered by a pledge from 130 countries to end deforestation by 2030.

    While on the world’s roads, the transition to zero emissions vehicles is gathering pace, with some of the largest car manufacturers working together to make all new car sales zero emission by 2040 and by 2035 in leading markets. Countries and cities are following suit with ambitious petrol and diesel car phaseout dates.

    Current policies would leave us on a path to a devastating temperature rise. But work done by independent experts Climate Action Tracker show that with the full implementation of the fresh collective commitments could hold temperature rise to 1.8C.

    Even with the action committed both during and before COP26, communities around the world will continue to feel the impact of our changing planet.

    Reflecting on the task ahead, COP26 President Alok Sharma said:

    <We can now say with credibility that we have kept 1.5 degrees alive. But, its pulse is weak and it will only survive if we keep our promises and translate commitments into rapid action. I am grateful to the UNFCCC for working with us to deliver a successful COP26.

    From here, we must now move forward together and deliver on the expectations set out in the Glasgow Climate Pact, and close the vast gap which remains. Because as Prime Minister Mia Mottley told us at the start of this conference, for Barbados and other small island states, ‘two degrees is a death sentence’.

    It is up to all of us to sustain our lodestar of keeping 1.5 degrees within reach and to continue our efforts to get finance flowing and boost adaptation. After the collective dedication which has delivered the Glasgow Climate Pact, our work here cannot be wasted.

    COP President Concluding Media Statement

    Alok Sharma addresses media as COP26 concludes.

    I am very pleased to say that we now have in place the Glasgow Climate Pact, agreed amongst all the Parties here. I am really pleased that this has been delivered. It is down to the hard work of the UK team; the hard work of all the Parties; the great cooperation that we have seen from all negotiators, and from all ministers; and right at the start of the summit, world leaders came out and set out what they wanted delivered out of this event.

    I would say, however, that this is a fragile win. We have kept 1.5 alive. That was our overarching objective when we set off on this journey two years ago, taking on the role of the COP presidency-designate. But I would still say that the pulse of 1.5 is weak. That is why, whilst we have reached, I do believe, a historic agreement. What this will be judged on, is not just the fact that countries have signed up, but on whether they meet and deliver on the commitments.

    During our Presidency year, which started at the start of this summit, we will ensure that we work really closely to ensure that the commitments that have been set out are being delivered by countries. And we will work in partnership with all of them. Collectively we have got this over the line. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who has helped with this. But as I say, the hard work starts now.