COP26: Final push aims to strike new climate agreement

Cop26 - Civil organisations march inside the venue at the COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, in a demonstration on the last day. UN News - Laura Quinones

Delegates in Glasgow are in final talks over a deal that aims to avert the most severe impacts of climate change.

Negotiators in the main COP26 hall are meeting in huddles to iron out differences over issues like climate funding and deforestation.

COP26 president Alok Sharma told negotiators he wanted a deal done on Saturday.

And he said the current draft "really moves things forward."

"At the end of the day, what has been proposed is a balanced package" he said.

The key achievements in the agreement so far are the unprecedented inclusion of a commitment to phase-out coal, re-visiting emissions-cutting plans on a more regular basis and increased financial help for developing countries.

But developing nations are unhappy about a lack of progress on what's known as "loss and damage", the idea that richer countries should compensate poorer ones for climate change effects they can't adapt to.

As the talks entered their final hours, Chinese negotiators called on countries to "meet each other half way", expressing hope that "all parties will show excellent flexibility".

While India's environment minister Bhupender Yadav added that "consensus remains elusive".

Promises in Glasgow will not be enough to limit global warming to 1.5C. It is a key part of the 2015 Paris agreement that most countries signed up to.

Scientists say that limiting temperature rise to 1.5C compared to pre-industrial levels will protect us from the most dangerous impacts of climate change.

Meeting the goal requires global emissions to be cut by 45% by 2030 and to zero overall by 2050. One example of the impact of global temperature rise above 2C is the death of virtually all tropical coral reefs, scientists say.

One estimate by the Climate Action Tracker calculated that the planet is still set to warm by 2.4C if the current pledges are all met.

But experts say the 1.5C target is still achievable: at COP15 in Copenhagen more than a decade ago, estimates suggested the world was heading for between 3.5 and 4.2C of warming.

The new version of the agreement released earlier on Saturday continues to refer to "accelerating efforts towards phase-out of unabated coal power and inefficient fossil fuel subsidies" - watered-down commitments that have been criticised by campaigners, even though some observers underlined that it is the first time coal is explicitly mentioned in UN documents of this type.

China and Saudi Arabia are said to be among a group of countries that have been seeking to remove references to fossil fuel subsidies.

Teresa Anderson, climate policy co-ordinator for ActionAid International, said: "The latest text from COP26 is a slap in the face for those who are already dealing with the devastating impacts of the climate crisis.

"It still does nothing to provide a single penny to support indigenous communities, farmers, women and girls to recover and rebuild after climate disasters. The vast majority of the world's countries are calling for a new funding facility for loss and damage yet their voices have been ignored, again."

On Friday, the climate minister of Tuvalu, which is particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels, made an emotive plea, saying his nation was "literally sinking".

"It is a matter of life and survival for many of us, and we implore that Glasgow must be the defining moment. We must not fail," Seve Paeniu said, to a rapturous reception.

Climate finance, or the money promised by richer countries to poorer countries to fight climate change, continues to be one of the most contentious points. In 2009, developed nations pledged to provide $100bn per year to emerging economies by 2020. But this target was not met.

Despite the promises made at COP26 so far, the planet is still heading for 2.4C of warming above pre-industrial levels, according to a report by Climate Action Tracker.

Summary of Cop26 talks 

1. Talks at the climate summit in Glasgow are in the final stretch as countries try to strike a deal on tackling climate change

2. COP President Alok Sharma tells delegates: "The world is watching us, they are willing us to make an agreement here"

3. He reiterates that the summit - which has already run a day overtime - must end today

4. Sources tell the BBC that US climate envoy John Kerry is staying firm on key US positions around money for developing countries

5. Developing countries are angry that there is no commitment to money for the damage climate change has already caused

6. The summit is seen as a key moment to try and keep temperature increases to 1.5C

- BBC News