COP26: ‘Monumental challenge’ remains to reach agreement – Alok Sharma

COP26 President Alok Sharma today warned of the “monumental challenge” still required for the Glasgow climate change conference to reach agreement.

Speaking just over 24 hours from the scheduled end of the summit, he said the negotiations “really need to accelerate, and accelerate now”.

Mr Sharma: "While we have made progress, we are not there yet on the most critical issues.”

These include on the $100 billion (£75bn) aid package to poorer countries most affected by climate change.

Alok Sharma said negotiations "really need to accelerate". Picture: The Scotsman

Mr Sharma said: "There is a lot more work to be done.

"COP26 is scheduled to close at the end of tomorrow so time is running out."

However, previous COPs have run significantly past their finishing time, with the Madrid event in 2019 not ending until 2pm on the Sunday – nearly two days late.

Mr Sharma said negotiators were “rolling up their sleeves” in an attempt to find solutions to the most “intractable” issues.

Nicola Sturgeon said: "Our feet need to held to the fire"

He said: “Negotiations on finance really need to accelerate and they need to accelerate now.

"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.

"We are still some way away from finalising those very critical issues which have been outstanding.

"I don’t think we can overemphasise how difficult this is.”

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said COP26 would have “no excuse” for not ensuring the $100bn funding was agreed, which she described as “relatively straightforward”.

Addressing a plenary session of the conference with other leaders of countries not directly involved in the summit negotiations, she said: “It was made 12 years ago – it will be shameful if we come out of this COP without that commitment being met in full.

"For rich countries, that should be relatively easy to do.

"So to world leaders I’d say, please don’t miss that opportunity.

"Countries are suffering the loss and damage of the impact being felt right now and we have to step up and recognise the obligation we have to help deal with that.”

Ms Sturgeon also admitted her “feet needed to be held to the fire” over Scotland’s own progress on cutting emissions.

She said: “We have made significant progress at home but we have not gone far enough.

"It’s really important that I recognise the need to go further and faster.

"Scotland has halved emissions already, so we’re half way to net zero, but we’ve got to get the next half of the journey.

"We have got a target of net zero by 2045, but I’m very mindful that targets about 2045 or 2050 are meaningless unless we all do what is required by 2030.”

Ms Sturgeon acknowledged that Scotland’s 75 per cent reduction target by 2030 would be “tough to achieve”.

She said: “We recognise we are unlikely to meet every target every year.

"But the importance of having them is that if we fall short in one year, we’ve got an obligation to catch up.

“I recognise that people like me, our feet do need to be held to the fire.”

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