Cop26 latest news: UN chief warns world is 'digging its own grave' over climate crisis
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The Secretary-General of the UN has given one of the hardest-hitting speeches of Cop26 so far, warning that the world is "digging our own graves" by inaction.
"It's time to say: enough," Antonio Guterres told world leaders gathered in Glasgow for the conference.
"Enough of brutalising biodiversity. Enough of killing ourselves with carbon. Enough of treating nature like a toilet. Enough of burning and drilling and mining our way deeper. We are digging our own graves."
Speaking before Mr Guterres, Boris Johnson warned that the world has "run down the clock" on climate change, as he likened world leaders to James Bond grappling with a "doomsday device" that could wipe out humanity.
Mr Johnson urged world leaders to channel their inner 007 - though he noted they did not look or feel like him - saying: "We are now coming centre stage before a vast and uncountable audience of posterity and we must not fluff our lines or miss our cue.
"Because if we fail, they will not forgive us. They will know that Glasgow was the historic turning point when history failed to turn. They will judge us with bitterness and with a resentment that eclipses any of the climate activists of today - and they will be right."
Follow the latest updates below.
03:33 PM
Tom Harris: The climate problem is much bigger than politicians
On behalf of Glaswegians throughout our great city, allow me to say that we are waiting with eager anticipation for the whole shebang of Cop26 to be over with, writes Tom Harris.
It’s wonderful that we have been chosen by the UK Government as the venue for the most important climate summit to date, but you will forgive us if we are eager to get our city back once all the VIPs, journalists and activists – welcome though they obviously are – have returned home.
Yesterday was the busiest day of the build-up so far, with thousands arriving at railway stations and airports. Greta Thunburg arrived on Saturday, to the expected degree of media adulation. Today it’s the turn of less high-profile individuals, like Boris Johnson and President Joe Biden.
And since the decisions to be taken in the next fortnight will have massive repercussions on our climate and on the international community’s commitment to cutting its carbon emissions to sub-Armageddon levels, it’s understandable that the public are watching these arrivals closely.
Alas, much of the commentary about the modes of transport used by visitors and delegates misses the point entirely.
03:14 PM
Cop26: US is 'back at the table' of tackling climate change, says Joe Biden
Joe Biden has admitted that the US has not always been "at the table" of combating climate change.
He told Cop26 his administration would commit to meeting a goal of reducing US admissions by 50 to 52 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030.
This would "demonstrate to the world that the US is not only back at the table but will hopefully lead by the power of our example", the US President said.
He added: "I know it hasn't been the case and that's why my administration is working overtime to show that our climate commitment is action and not words."
03:10 PM
Cop26: World is falling short in climate commitments, says Joe Biden
The world is "still falling short" in tackling climate change, Joe Biden has said.
The emergency is not a "hypothetical threat", the US President said as he addressed the opening session of Cop26.
Countries - particularly developed nations which are richer and have contributed more to global warming - must do more than they have done thus far to "preserve our shared future", he added.
The US President said: "Climate change is already ravaging the world. It's not hypothetical. It's not a hypothetical threat. It is destroying people's lives and livelihoods, and doing it every single day."
He added that the "eye of history" is upon the leaders who must act urgently.
03:02 PM
Cop26: Super Mario calls for quantum leap in fight against climate change
Italy's Prime Minister has called for a "quantum leap" in the fight against climate change.
Mario Draghi urged those involved in Cop26 to build to on the promises made at the recent G20 summit in Rome, saying the impact of the crisis was "all too evident" in weather disasters and the cost of this is rising.
"Climate change can tear us apart. Thanks to the constant co-operation and dialogue we are making good progress on addressing climate change," he said.
"Here at the Cop26 we must now go further than we did at the G20. We need to speed up our commitment to keep rising temperatures below 1.5C. We need to build on the G20 agreement and act faster and more decisively."
He called for action on climate finance, with the public and private sectors working together in new ways, as well as groups like the World Bank to make the available money "useable for a good effort".
Mr Draghi added: "This Cop26 must be the start of a new momentum, a quantum leap in our fight against climate change, and our youth must be at the centre of the process."
02:57 PM
Russia rejects Cop26 criticism as Putin plans pre-recorded speech to 'forestry conference'
Russia - whose President Vladimir Putin is another leader to snub Cop26 - has approved a new long-term climate strategy targeting carbon neutrality by 2060.
President Vladimir Putin, the leader of the fourth largest greenhouse gas emitter, plans to deliver a recorded message at the Glasgow talks, but will not speak live, the Kremlin said.
The 2060 deadline, to which China has also committed, is 10 years later than the date widely cited as necessary to prevent the most extreme global warming. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected criticism from US President Joe Biden and others that Russia is not doing enough.
"Russia as a country is making enormous efforts and will continue to do so systematically to reduce the anthropogenic burden on the climate, but this is a process that requires adequate measures on the part of all states," he said.
"A conference on forestry and land use management will be held in Glasgow... and the president has already recorded an address to the participants of that conference," he said.
02:50 PM
Flop26: Joe Biden appears to nod off during climate change speech
Boris Johnson vowed that action on climate change would be more than just "blah, blah, blah", if you're finding all the chat from Cop26 a bit... soporific, you're not the only one.
Joe Biden appears to nod off during one speech. To be fair to the US President, he had only just touched down in Scotland, having flown in from the weekend's G7 summit in Rome this morning.
02:43 PM
Cop26: Social distancing could mean delegates miss out
Social distancing guidelines put in place because of Covid-19 mean even the biggest negotiating room is not big enough to fit all delegates from every country at Cop-26, writes Emma Gatten.
The biggest negotiating room at the Glasgow conference is only big enough for 144 delegates, despite there being 193 countries at the summit, meaning some could be left out.
“That is not enough. We have 193 parties now. So that is literally not enough." said Patricia Espinosa, head of the UN's climate change body.
Organisers attempted to bring in a ticketing system for the meetings, but had scrapped the idea by Monday morning after it was met with resistance from delegates concerned they could have been left out of talks.
Meanwhile, a message sent out to attendees on the UN’s own app on Monday afternoon warned that the conference centre was reaching high attendance, and asked people to consider watching the conference online and only attend for as long as possible.
02:38 PM
Brazil to go further in cutting emissions by 2030
Brazil's President might not be in Glasgow but the country has pledged to go further on cutting emissions than previously committed.
Environment Minister Joaquim Pereira Leite said the government would cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent by 2030, substantially raising the previous commitment to reduce emissions by 43 per cent in that time period.
In a pre-recorded video shown at Cop26 in Glasgow, President Jair Bolsonaro said he had authorized Leite to raise Brazil's climate targets.
02:32 PM
Watch: Joe Biden's motorcade into Glasgow
Much has been written about the contradiction between world leaders flying from one city to another to discuss the climate emergency, with many having travelled to Rome for the G20 this weekend ahead of Cop26.
But what about the gas guzzling of their motorcades when they are on the ground?
Given Joe Biden's string of vehicles, we can only hope some of them are electric...
02:26 PM
SNP MP takes mocking tone as second US journalist confuses Scottish cities
It seems it's not just CNN's Wolf Blitzer getting confused about Scottish geography (see 10:50am).
Luckily for Reuters' White House correspondent Jeff Mason, the SNP's Ian Blackford is there to help.
02:20 PM
Nicola Sturgeon links Cop26 to Indyref2 - despite urging leaders to put politics aside
Nicola Sturgeon has taken out full-page newspaper adverts linking the Cop26 summit with Scottish independence despite urging world leaders to forget their political interests during the crucial talks.
The First Minister said she hoped "we can all put egos aside over the next few days" and called on the leaders round the negotiating table to focus instead on getting a deal to cut climate emissions.
However, the SNP took out full-page adverts in several Scottish newspapers that attempted to link the summit being hosted by the UK Government in Glasgow with independence and described Scotland as a "nation in waiting".
At the bottom, next to a picture of Ms Sturgeon, the advert read: "Scotland helped lead the world into the industrial age. Now we're proud to help lead the world into the net zero age."
02:06 PM
UK and EU must get over 'micro-disputes' to set post-Brexit relationship
The UK and the EU must move on from "micro-disputes" and solve differences through "common sense", Ireland's Taoiseach has said.
"To allow these issues to fester is not good," warned Micheal Martin.
Speaking to reporters at Cop26, he said the Commission's recent proposals on the Northern Ireland protocol "gives the platform to conclude these negotiations rapidly", because Brussels "has come a long way in respect of the operation and details of the Protocol," he said.
"Huge progress has been made and I believe the UK Government should respond in kind. It is in the best interests of the Good Friday Agreement and in the best interests of the people of Northern Ireland," he added.
"The signals are not that strong but we will work with our European colleagues, with the United Kingdom Government, as there is some distance to go yet."
02:04 PM
UK and EU must 'engage constructively' on fishing row, says Irish Premier
While leaders and activists have been using Cop26 to warn about the realities of unchecked climate change, the fishing row is still dominating the edges of the summit.
Speaking to reporters in Glasgow, Taoiseach Micheal Martin said that there was a concern that the UK has not been engaging with the EU in a "constructive manner", as he stressed he stood in solidarity with France.
"We believe the European Union and the UK Government need to engage constructively on a whole range of issues, not least fisheries," he said
"I believe there is discussion under way between the UK Government and the French Government and that they may be in a position to get that issue resolved."
"We would like to see that resolved, independent of the protocol."
01:54 PM
Barbadian Prime Minister attacks Cop26 no-shows
The Barbadian Prime Minister has launched a veiled attack on leaders who have not attended the Cop26 summit in Glasgow.
Russian president Vladimir Putin and Chinese president Xi Jinping are among a handful of leaders not attending.
Speaking during the opening ceremony, Mia Mottley said: "We can work with who is ready to go, because the train is ready to leave.
"Those who are not yet ready, we need to continue to encircle and remind them that their people, not our people, but their citizens need them to get on board as soon as possible."
She urged world leaders to "try harder" to prevent climate change, saying: "1.5C is what we need to stay alive - two degrees is a death sentence for the people of Antigua and Barbuda, for the people of the Maldives, for the people of Dominica and Fiji, for the people of Kenya and Mozambique - and yes, for the people of Samoa and Barbados.
"We do not want that dreaded death sentence and we've come here today to say 'try harder, try harder'. Because our people, the climate army, the world, the planet, needs our action now - not next year, not in the next decade."
01:38 PM
Guterres tells Cop26: Stop 'treating nature like a toilet' and 'digging our own graves'
The Secretary-General of the UN has given one of the hardest-hitting speeches of Cop26 so far, warning that the world is "digging our own graves" by inaction.
"It's time to say: enough," Antonio Guterres told world leaders gathered in Glasgow for the conference.
"Enough of brutalising biodiversity. Enough of killing ourselves with carbon. Enough of treating nature like a toilet. Enough of burning and drilling and mining our way deeper. We are digging our own graves."
01:30 PM
Sir David Attenborough: We are already in trouble
You can certainly tell that Sir David Attenborough is a broadcaster of many years standing.
The world-famous natural historian has given a compelling opening speech, complete with moody music and graphics, highlighting the unprecedented pace of climate change in recent years.
"The stability we all depend on is breaking," the nonagenarian tells Cop26. "We are already in trouble."
He asked: "Is this how our story is due to end - a tale of the smartest species doomed by that all too human characteristic of failing to see the bigger picture in pursuit of short-term goals?"
US president Joe Biden was among those to give the broadcaster a standing ovation after his speech.
01:22 PM
UN Secretary-General bemoans 'deficit of credibility' in climate targets
There is often "a deficit of credibility and a surplus of confusion" over climate targets, the UN's Secretary-General has said.
Antonio Guterres told leaders that failure at a conference on global warming would mean they should have to come back with improved pledges every year rather than according to the current five-year timetable.
"If commitments fall short at the end of this COP, countries must revisit their national climate plans and policies - not every five years, but every year and every moment," he told leaders at Cop26's opening ceremony in Glasgow.
The United Nations is setting up an expert group to measure and analyse net zero commitments of non-state actors, he added.
01:12 PM
Leaders must create framework to boost green investment, says Prince Charles
The Prince of Wales has urged "countries to come together to create the environment that enables every sector industry to take the action required".
He echoed Boris Johnson as he called on the private sector to step up through a "vast military style campaign" to address the fact that many countries simply "can't afford to go green".
Noting that climate change solutions required "trillions not billions" that was beyond the combined global GDP and the public sector, he said that industry's involvement would offer "the only real prospect of achieving fundamental economic transition".
Investment was needed to transition from coal to green energy, he added. But "which switches do we flick?" he asked.
Clear market signals, agreed globally, would help develop a framework for sectors to know that the goalposts wouldn't shift, thus directing trillions of dollars, Prince Charles added.
01:09 PM
World must adopt 'war-like footing' on climate change, says Prince Charles
Covid has shown just how devastating a cross-border threat can be - but climate change poses "an even greater existential threat", Prince Charles has said.
As a result, the world should be on a "war-like footing".
He adds: "Time has quite literally run out.... We know what we must do, with a growing global population placing ever increasing demands on the planet's finite resources, we have to reduce emissions urgently and take action to tackle the carbon already in the atmosphere, including from coal fired power stations.
"Putting a value on carbon... is therefore absolutely critical."
The Prince of Wales says nature "is our greatest teacher" in tackling the crisis.
01:00 PM
Antonio Guterres: Climate change commitments give 'illusion' that change is on track
It is an "illusion" to think the fight against climate change is being won, the UN's Secretary-General has said.
Antonio Guterres told the Cop26 conference opening session: "Recent climate action announcements might give the impression that we are on track to turn things around.
"This is an illusion. The last published report on Nationally Determined Contributions showed that they would still condemn the world to a calamitous 2.7 degree increase.
"And even if the recent pledges were clear and credible - and there are serious questions about some of them - we are still careening towards climate catastrophe.
"Even in the best-case scenario, temperatures will rise well above two degrees.
"So, as we open this much anticipated climate conference, we are still heading for climate disaster."
12:58 PM
Cop26: Climate change is death sentence for islands
Failure to tackle climate change is a death sentence for small island states, Antonio Guterres said.
The UN's Secretary-General said the world faces "a moment of truth" as it approaches "tipping points that will trigger escalating feedback loops of global heating".
But he said there is "progress to build upon", adding: "The climate action army - led by young people - is unstoppable.
"They are larger. They are louder. And, I assure you, they are not going away. I stand with them."
12:56 PM
Cop26: Boris Johnson's focus on future generations striking
It was striking how much of Boris Johnson's opening speech was about the anger of future generations if Cop26 fails, writes Ben Riley-Smith.
The Prime Minister warned that today’s children and future children “will judge us with bitterness and resentment” if there is not a breakthrough in Glasgow. He said that the young are “increasingly edgy and disenchanted” and referenced the unborn "whose anger will be all the greater if we fail".
The lines appeared to be a deliberate attempt by the Prime Minister to lean on the conscience of world leaders - many of whom are parents - in a bid to urge them into action.
12:47 PM
Cop26 is time to 'defuse that bomb', says Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson says even if there are "real world" game-changing commitments made in Cop26, there will still be imminent issues that need to be addressed.
"If summits alone solved climate change, we wouldn't have needed 25 previous Cops to get where we are today," he tells Glasgow.
But this months's summit must mark "the beginning of the end" of climate change, he adds.
Cop is a "lifeboat for humanity" that must be given "a mighty shove into the water".
In the next days, leaders must "devote ourselves to this extraordinary task", he adds, exhorting them to think about "those beady eyes" of those watching and the unborn who will be angry "if we fail".
"We may not feel much like James Bond. Not all of us necessarily look much like James Bond. But we have the opportunity and the duty to make this summit the moment when humanity finally began to defuse that bomb."
12:43 PM
Future generations will judge Cop26 failure with 'bitterness and resentment'
Boris Johnson says that the "billions who are watching" Cop26 will notice the average age of the world leaders is over 60.
He says he "fully intends" to be alive in 2060 - "a mere 94 years old - even if I am not in Downing Street".
But the children who will judge actions now are not yet born. It is a "vast and accountable audience", who will not forgive leaders if they fail.
"They will know that Glasgow was the historic turning point when history failed to turn, they will judge us with bitterness and resentment that eclipses any of the climate activists today, and they will be right," he adds.
12:40 PM
Cop26: Past promises will be 'nothing but blah, blah, blah' without action now
Past promises will be "nothing but blah, blah, blah" if Cop26 is not "the moment when we get real about climate change", Boris Johnson has said.
"We can get real about coal, cars, cash and trees," he adds.
Although it is "too late" to address all the challenges in one go, leaders can "phase out the use of cars with hydrocarbon internal combustion engines by 2035", he says, noting that the UK has banned new sales by 2030.
Hundreds of millions of trees can be planted, he adds. "It is not technologically difficult."
He notes that the steam engine was invented in Glasgow 250 years ago, saying "we have brought you to the very place where the doomsday clock began to tick", as he emphasises the need for developed nations to find solutions.
But he stresses that public funds cannot do it alone, and urges the private sector to invest too.
12:36 PM
Boris Johnson: Climate challenge like 'doomsday device' faced by James Bond
Boris Johnson has welcomed leaders to Cop26, "to Glasgow and to Scotland", saying the most famous fictional son of the nation is James Bond.
He likens 007 trying to stop a ticking bomb with what leaders must do at the climate summit, although notes the "doomsday device" is real, with emissions "quilting the earth" with CO2.
"We know what the scientists tell us and we have learned not to ignore them," he adds.
Two degrees more and we jeopardise food supplies, three degrees more fires and cyclones, droughts and heatwaves. Four degrees "and we say goodbye to whole cities".
Leaders must grapple those challenges today, the Prime Minister says, noting we are "one minute to midnight".
12:32 PM
Bagpipes and poetry kick off Cop26
Leaders including Boris Johnson and the Prince of Wales are now watching the opening ceremony of Cop26, which so far has included traditional pipes and a poem written especially for the climate summit.
12:26 PM
Watch: Boris Johnson greets Emmanuel Macron at COP26 amid tense fishing row
12:24 PM
Telegraph talks about the town on the frontline of climate change
With the world's leaders descending on Glasgow for Cop26, you can be certain that climate change will dominate the headlines for the coming days.
With thin ice, thawing freezers and whaling threatened, the Alaskan town of Utqiagvik is at the forefront of the climate crisis.
Join The Telegraph's Jamie Johnson and Helen Nianias at 1pm to hear more.
12:19 PM
Lobby latest: No 10 dodges questions about contingency measures over France's threats
Downing Street has declined to set out whether there are contingency plans if France carries out threats in the fishing rights row, or when it understands the French deadline to be.
Speaking to journalists this morning a No 10 spokesman said: "We are keen for France to take a step back from the threats."
He pointed to last week's warning that the UK could launch dispute settlement proceedings under the Brexit trade deal, and Brexit minister Lord Frost's threat of retaliatory "practical responses".
"It is the French who have issued the threat, we're keen to continue to abide by the TCA (Trade and Cooperation Agreement) and continue to look at licences and the validity of them as they're applied for," he added.
Asked whether it was clear if the deadline for an agreement on licences set by France for Tuesday was at the beginning or the end of the day, the spokesman said: "That would be a question for the French."
Pressed what the British understanding of the deadline is, he said: "It's the French who have set out the timescale as per their threat, our focus is on trying to work with them and hope they step back from the threats they've made."
12:12 PM
Justin Welby: Cop26 must transform the lives of our children and grandchildren
Among those caught up in the queue to get into Cop26 this morning was Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, - although he described it as "more of a mob than a queue".
The archbishop, who is visiting the summit for a day, told The Telegraph what the UK is "trying to achieve here is something that will transform the lives of our children and grandchildren", writes Emma Gatten.
"And if it fails, it will also transform their lives. They will not be able to escape the implications and the impact, particularly of people movements that will come."
He added: "We've got about 85 million refugees in the world at the moment. In 1945 there were 22 million at the end of the Second World War. By 2050, without changes, we're looking at perhaps 10 times as many as we've got now. 800 million. And places like Northern Europe will be where they want to go because it will be safe, livable."
12:09 PM
Cop26: Macron dodges questions about trust in Boris Johnson
A big press scrum around French President Emmanuel Macron just now as reporters spotted him passing through one of the halls in Cop26, writes Ben Riley-Smith.
The Telegraph caught the end of it (which was all in French, naturally). But when reporters started shouting “do you trust Boris Johnson” in English he soon walked off.
Some of the world leaders here in Glasgow are expected to attend the Prime Minister’s opening speech, which is due to start in a few minutes’ time.
12:03 PM
Cop 26 attendees filter through ahead of Boris Johnson's 'opening ceremony'
Hello from a huge plenary session room where Boris Johnson, Prince Charles and Sir David Attenborough will all shortly be giving speeches kicking off Cop26, writes Ben Riley-Smith.
The opening ceremony, as it has been dubbed, starts at noon. Attendees are just starting to filter in now, some posing for selfies before the giant dark blue screens at the front.
There are hundreds of seats with microphones and titles saying who they are reserved for - many are for countries, some are for development bodies or industry groups.
Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary-general, will also be speaking. Mr Johnson is expected to warn that the world is “one minute to midnight” in the race to avert a climate catastrophe.
12:01 PM
Utter chaos as Cop26 delegates face massive queues to enter conference
Queues of 90 minutes to gain access to the conference centre this morning have sparked grumbles among attendees, writes Lucy Fisher.
Critics branded the entry system "utter chaos" as assorted delegates, observers and journalists jostled outside the venue gate in a snaking line that was more than 20 people abreast. Ministers were allowed to skip the wait and head in via a fast track lane.
Complaints have also arisen about security guards attempting to prevent domestic and international broadcasters filming the queue in the lead up to the Scottish Event Campus.
Once inside the first tent, attendees encountered a more orderly cordon system as they waited to have their passes checked and bags scanned.
11:54 AM
Analysis: Cop26 is not the real challenge - persuading voters will be tough
A week before it began, Boris Johnson was already in damage limitation mode, saying that the success of Cop26 is "touch and go", writes Catherine Neilan.
But leaving aside the fact that several key figures - including Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin - aren't around the table, the challenges of striking a unanimous agreement from 120 leaders, or that the start of the summit has been overshadowed by travel chaos, the next two weeks in Glasgow will be a walk in the park compared to what happens thereafter.
Because, despite the limited mention of climate change in Rishi Sunak's Budget, grappling with the challenges will be expensive, require a fundamental change in attitude - and many of the costs will fall unequally. Selling it to a domestic audience, without losing voters, is going to be a headache for leaders of all stripes.
The Cumbria coal mine is one such example of the challenges facing the UK Government (see 8:33am). Maintaining the union through measures such as cutting domestic air passenger duty is enough.
Keeping voters happy, and the country together, while taking a lead on the green agenda could prove one of the biggest tests of the Prime Minister yet.
11:44 AM
More from our political editor on the ground at Cop26...
11:38 AM
Disgraced MP has Tory membership restored
Disgraced MP Rob Roberts has been given his Tory membership back, in a move that Labour said would "let him off the hook" for sexually harassing a member of staff.
The Conservatives confirmed on Monday morning that Mr Roberts was a Tory party member again after a 12-week suspension. However the MP for Delyn in North Wales will continue to sit as an independent as the Tories are still withholding the party whip in the House of Commons.
A Conservative Party spokeswoman said: "Rob Roberts' membership suspension concluded on Monday November 1 after serving a 12-week suspension. The whip will remain suspended."
Labour Party chair Anneliese Dodds described the scheduled end of Mr Roberts' suspension as "scandalous".
"Rob Roberts should have resigned as an MP the moment he was suspended. That he is now set to return to the Conservative Party shows they've let him off the hook," she added.
11:33 AM
Chancellor's fiscal headroom could be 'easily wiped out', warns OBR
The Chancellor could struggle to reach his targets of both reducing debt and balancing the current budget deficit in three years, according to the Government's Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).
Asked by MPs on the Treasury Select Committee why the officials said the UK was in for a "wild ride" in terms of achieving the new fiscal rules, OBR chairman Richard Hughes said their is little wiggle room.
He said: "The Chancellor set himself some new fiscal rules in this budget and they are to get debt falling as a share of GDP (gross domestic product) by 2024/25 and balance the current budget.
"The headroom he set aside to reach those targets is the second-lowest headroom that any chancellor has had when setting fiscal rules."
He added: "Just a one per cent interest rate rise could easily wipe out the Chancellor's headroom."
11:32 AM
Climate activists' voices should be 'heard loudly and clearly'
Nicola Sturgeon has met with young climate activist Greta Thunberg as the world's leaders gather in Glasgow for Cop26.
Scotland's First Minister said their voices should be heard during the summit, adding: "The next few days should not be comfortable for leaders."
11:25 AM
All smiles as world leaders arrive at Cop26
Fresh from his negative Covid test (see 10:47am), Joe Biden has arrived in Scotland for the first day of Cop26.
Having flown in from Rome where he had attended the G20, the US president is due to address the summit in Glasgow at 1pm.
Meanwhile Emmanuel Macron and Boris Johnson managed to put aside their differences over fishing to pose for photographers at the top of the conference.
The Prime Minister has also greeted Angela Merkel, while Liz Truss, the Foreign Secretary, has welcomed Justin Trudeau.
11:15 AM
'Critical metric for judging Cop26 success is 2030 commitments'
Ben Riley-Smith, The Telegraph's political editor, says the "critical metric" for judging the success of Cop26 is the extent of commitments for 2030.
"Pledges to hit Net Zero by 2050, 2060 etc are all well and good but should not be a replacement to action this decade," he says. "The critical metric: How much global total emissions in 2030 are cut."
"Under current commitments global total emissions are around 53 gigatonnes (of what’s called ‘CO2 equivalent’). To have a chance of global warming peaking at just 1.5C (as PM has championed) that needs to be more than halved to 25 gigatonnes.
"Some of those watching Cop closely say this is the key test for success - whether there is real progress in dropping that emissions figure down, such that the ‘keep 1.5 alive’ rhetoric has been matched with action."
11:06 AM
France has 48 hours to back down on fishing threats or face legal action, says Foreign Secretary
France has 48 hours to back down on fishing threats or the UK will bring legal action over the row, the Foreign Secretary has said.
Speaking as the key climate summit Cop26 kicks off, Liz Truss rejected suggestions a deal had been done, and showed no sign of the UK shifting its stance, warning that the UK would seek "compensatory measures" if France did not "back down".
Ms Truss told Sky News: "The French have made completely unreasonable threats, including to the Channel Islands and to our fishing industry, and they need to withdraw those threats or else we will use the mechanisms of our trade agreement with the EU to take action."
The Cabinet minister added: "This issue needs to be resolved within the next 48 hours." Asked if that could include legal action, she said "absolutely".
She later told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the UK would not "roll over in the face of these threats."
But Pierre-Henri Dumont, the centre-Right Republicains MP for Calais, said France would back "harder negotiations" to make Britain "understand that fishing rights are very important for us and that was part of the deal".
He told the Today programme: “We can find retaliation on scallops. We can find retaliation on docking in France. We can find retaliation on electricity... that’s on the table."
11:05 AM
Iain Dale: Desperate Macron is entirely in the wrong
The surface bonhomie Emmanuel Macron expressed to Boris Johnson at the G20 this weekend masked the reality that France is using every means possible to flex its rapidly diminishing diplomatic muscles, writes Iain Dale.
Everything Macron does has to be seen through the prism of next April’s presidential election. His country is beset by all sorts of economic and societal problems.
Things have become so bad that a group of soldiers has written a letter to the media warning about the very survival of France. So what better than a spat with the British about fishing to attract voters from the nationalist right?
10:50 AM
US broadcaster in wrong city for Cop26
Welcome to Edinburgh, where no one except CNN news anchor Wolf Blitzer is spending the fortnight of Cop26.
The rest of the world - including many journalists - are in Glasgow, where the event is actually being held.
10:47 AM
You shall go to the Cop26 ball: Joe Biden tests negative for Covid
US President Joe Biden has tested negative for Covid-19, after his chief spokeswoman tested positive, the White House said Monday.
The "president was tested as well, a PCR test yesterday, and he tested negative," Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One, on the way to the UN climate summit in Glasgow.
Jean-Pierre said Biden's test on Sunday was not in response to news of the positive result for Press Secretary Jen Psaki, but was done "independently" and was "required for entering the UK."
Ms Psaki, who has frequent access to Biden in the White House, pulled out of his trip to Rome for a G20 summit and the following Glasgow event after family members tested positive for Covid-19.
10:45 AM
'We didn't deface Effel Tower': Australia hits back at France over Aukus rawcus
Australia's deputy prime minister has told France to keep things in perspective after Emmanuel Macron accused Canberra of lying about cancelling their submarine building contract in September.
Barnaby Joyce told reporters "We didn’t steal an island, we didn’t deface the Eiffel Tower. It was a contract."
"Contracts have terms and conditions, and one of those terms and conditions and propositions is that you might get out of the contract."
See 8:58am for more
10:30 AM
Glasgow bin collectors strike as Cop26 kicks off
Bin collectors and street cleaners have walked out on strike as Glasgow hosts world leaders for the Cop26 summit, amid a row between a union and the city council.
GMB members walked out at one minute past midnight on Monday following the collapse of last-ditch talks between the union and Glasgow City Council on Sunday evening. Workers will strike throughout the first full week of the Cop26 summit.
The planned strike action had been called off on Friday following a new pay offer from council umbrella body Cosla.
But GMB Scotland secretary Louise Gilmour said: "We met the council in good faith, offering a clear set of proposals to reset industrial relations and avoid strikes. The council rejected these proposals.
"Regrettably, the council refused this massive opportunity to move forward, and strike action across the cleansing service will now begin, during which time our members will be balloted on the Cosla pay offer."
10:19 AM
UK to underwrite $1bn green infrastructure loan for India
Boris Johnson is set to announce a sovereign guarantee for a $1 billion World Bank loan for India to develop green infrastructure, Reuters is reporting.
The Prime Minister is expected to make the announcement as part of the major climate change summit Cop26, which kicks off in Glasgow today.
"The UK's biggest finance offer to India at Cop26 will be a $1 billion sovereign guarantee for additional World Bank lending for green infra," Reuters cites one of the sources saying.
Spokespeople for the Indian and UK governments did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
10:16 AM
In pictures: Boris Johnson welcomes (most of) the world's leaders to Cop26
Boris Johnson has spent most of the day so far welcoming leaders to Cop26, including the Commission's Ursula von der Leyen, and the European Council President Charles Michel.
Beyond the shores of Europe, he has also welcomed leaders from Israel, several South American countries and parts of Africa.
Outside the conference centre, activists have gathered and brought the "big heads" from the summer's G7 summit in Cornwall.
10:10 AM
Tim Stanley: Boris's patriotic, pro-market green agenda deserves Tory support
Climate conferences are boring, duplicitous and elitist, writes Tim Stanley. Unfortunately, they also matter.
Conservatives ought to wish Boris Johnson the best of British at Cop26, not just to get the promises and, crucially, the technical commitments required to save the world, but to shape the debate over the kind of environmentalism we’re going to get. Pro-market or crypto-socialist?
Many backbenchers seem convinced that Boris is only keen on this stuff thanks to the malign influence of his wife. The “Carrie Wears the Pants” theory of British politics hinges upon the assumption that Boris doesn’t have a philosophy, hence it’s easy for friends and family to make him believe anything – plus the suspicion that the climate scare is slightly overblown, that the British government has fallen, yet again, to capture by idiot experts.
09:44 AM
Another strong man bites the dust: Erdogan bails on Cop26 over motorcade restrictions
Turkey's President has cancelled plans to attend the COP26 climate conference after Britain failed to meet Ankara's demands on security arrangements.
Tayyip Erdogan, who has returned to Turkey direct from the G20 summit in Rome, joins Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Jair Bolsonaro as climate summit no-shows.
Although no reason has been officially given for the decision, Reuters is reporting two officials saying it was "protocol" issues and security, suggesting that restrictions over the president's motorcade was to blame.
"The president took such a decision because our demands regarding the number of vehicles for security and some other security related demands were not fully met," one senior official told Reuters.
09:36 AM
Meat tax? Ed Milband has 'cut down on the bacon sarnies'
Ed Miliband has said he has "cut down on the bacon sarnies" when asked about George Eustice's support for a meat tax.
On the eve of the Cop26 summit in Glasgow, the Environment Secretary told The Telegraph that the UK will need to “move into the realms of things like carbon taxes” when existing EU agricultural subsidies are finally phased out.
Asked about these comments, the former Labour leader joked: "Well, I've cut down on the bacon sarnies - if I can do it, everybody else can."
09:29 AM
Ed Miliband: Cop26 is 'beginning, not the end'
Cop26 is the "beginning, not the end" of the move to resolve climate change, Labour's Ed Miliband has said, as he called for annual summits to agree any outstanding measures after the two-week summit ends.
The shadow business secretary noted that the meeting was more complicated than usual summits because any agreement must have total unanimity, with more than 190 countries attending.
"Everyone has got to agree for this summit to succeed," he told Sky News. "If one or two countries object it could detail the whole thing. This is not a normal summit, this is not just 'have a nice photo' - this is really hard yards," he added.
Asked how optimistic he was about the chances of success, he said: "I don't think we want to declare this a failure. This is too important for failure. But wherever we end up, my prediction is that Glasgow will be beginning not the end."
The next scheduled summit, in 2025, is "too long to wait", he added so "anything short, we have got to say we are not waiting until 2025 - we are coming back this year or next year".
09:24 AM
Labour: UK must form 'pincer movement' to get China to act on climate
The UK must form a "pincer movement" with developing countries in a bid to force big emitters like China to act, Labour's Ed Miliband has said.
"Money for developing countries, vulnerable countries - the countries that might actually disappear - is so important. It's important morally but also for success of this summit," he told Sky News.
The "pincer movement" of countries that "want to take action putting pressure on countries like China - that is what is going to produce results," he added.
The shadow business secretary said it was "regrettable" that China's President Xi Jinping was not attending, and blamed it on the Prime Minister being a "lastminute.gov kind of guy".
09:18 AM
Don't give out 'free passes for big emitters', Labour tells Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson should have realised years ago that climate change is a "really tough" challenge to resolve, Ed Miliband has said.
After the Prime Minister's warning that the world is a "one minute to midnight", the shadow business secretary said: "I am glad he has finally realised it is really tough, but I do wish he had realised it two years ago when summit was being planned. He shouldn't be saying, just as the summit begins, that we are in trouble."
The former Labour leader told Sky News that the Government "can't negotiate with the science" and therefore had to focus on what it could get from the assembled world leaders.
"The Government should put pressure on all the big countries," he added, singling out Australia for "not doing nearly enough".
He added: "There should be no free passes for any of the big emitters."
09:13 AM
Ed Miliband backs Government on fishing row with France
Labour's Ed Miliband has said he backs the Government over the fishing row with France, saying: "I don't like the way the French have behaved on this at all."
The former party leader and shadow business secretary told Sky News: "This is not what we need at any time, it is certainly not what we need now. This is the biggest global summit ever, and that is where the focus should be."
"So let's lower the temporary on both sides- threats aren't going to get us anywhere."
Asked if he supports the Government, he replied: "I do. I fear it may be being done in France for domestic political reasons."
He said it would not "derail" Cop26, but added: "We can't let it distract us one iota from what we are doing here."
08:58 AM
Macron says Australian PM lied over submarine deal
It's not just Britain that Emmanuel Macron has le bœuf with.
The French President claims his Australian counterpart, Scott Morrison, lied to him over the cancellation of a submarine building contract in September. The two leaders met in Rome this weekend for the first time since the Aukus deal caught Paris off guard, prompting it to recall ambassadors from Washington and Canberra amid accusations that France had been betrayed.
"I don't think, I know," Mr Macron said in response to a question whether he thought that Mr Morrison had lied to him.
He told Australian reporters: "I have a lot of respect and a lot of friendship for your people. I just say when we have respect, you have to be true and you have to behave in line, and consistently, with this value."
08:48 AM
Boris Johnson: History will judge us on success of Cop26
He added: "I’ll be asking world leaders to take action on coal, cars, cash and trees – to keep alive the prospect of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees."
08:40 AM
Failure not an option: Nicola Sturgeon tells world leaders to 'step up' climate commitments
Nicola Sturgeon has said world leaders must "step up" their commitments to resolving climate change, saying those made ahead of Cop26 are not enough.
Asked if the summit would be a success, she told ITV's Good Morning Britain: "I don't know is the honest answer to that right now... The leaders haven't yet arrived here, they will arrive over the course of the morning and perhaps this time tomorrow we'll have a better idea of the answer to that question.
"If the commitments that have been made coming into this conference are the commitments coming out of this conference, this answer will be no," she added. "So it's in the balance and leaders have got to step up and increase their scale of ambition if it's to be a success.
"We can't afford failure here. The future of the planet, quite literally, the future of generations to come and in much nearer term the continued existence of many communities in the world depend on success here. So failure is really not an option."
08:38 AM
UK must 'put Cop26 pessimism to one side', says Nicola Sturgeon
Nicola Sturgeon has said she "shares" Boris Johnson's pessimism of a positive outcome to the climate talks at Cop26 but urged world leaders to "put our shoulders to the wheel".
The Prime Minister has said it is "touch and go" whether the summit will be successful, telling a children's press conference he was "very worried" about the chances of a good outcome.
This morning Scotland's First Minister told Sky News: "The Prime Minister is right to be pessimistic at this stage - I share his pessimism. But we've all got to put the pessimism to one side and put our shoulders to the wheel.
"The UK, having the presidency of this Cop, has a particular responsibility to corral the leaders, to bring them together, to encourage them to do more than they are currently committed to do.
"There's a big gap on emissions, a big gap on climate finance - so much, much work to be done, and I will do everything I can to push it in the right direction."
08:33 AM
Boris Johnson 'not in favour of more coal'
Boris Johnson has restated his opposition to the creation of a new coal mine in Cumbria - potentially putting him on a collision course with his own backbenchers.
Speaking as Cop26 kicks off, the Prime Minister said the world is at "one minute to midnight", having run down the clock on waiting to combat climate change as he confirmed he did not want to see a controversial proposed coal mine in Cumbria go ahead.
"I'm not in favour of more coal," he told the BBC "But it is not a decision for me, it is a decision for the planning authorities."
During a children's press conference last week, Mr Johnson said: "We don't want to support new coal mines."
However local politicians including Workington MP Mark Jenkinson and Ben Houchen, the Tees Valley Mayor, have both backed the project as a way of kick-starting the local economy.
08:26 AM
UK will not 'roll over' on fishing row, says Liz Truss
Liz Truss has said the UK "is simply not going to roll over" in the face of France's "serious" threats over fishing licences.
The Foreign Secretary told BBC Radio 4's Today programme; "We don't want confrontation, we want to reach a constructive agreement that allows that trade to flow freely."
The threats coming from France were "completely unwarranted", and not "the type of rhetoric we would expect to see from a close friend and ally".
"I call on France to withdraw those threats," she added, saying the UK. "We simple cannot have a situation where we are being threatened like that."
Boris Johnson made that point to Emmanuel Macron during the pair's meeting yesterday, she added.
08:19 AM
No to meat tax, says Liz Truss
Liz Truss said she would not support a "meat tax" on foods with a high-carbon footprint after Environment Secretary George Eustice raised the prospect.
The Foreign Secretary told Sky News: "I wouldn't support a meat tax.
"I think it's really important that we support our fantastic British farming industry and I think it's important that rather than using the stick to encourage people to become more climate friendly we use the carrot, if that's not mixing metaphors with meat.
"And we actually make a climate-friendly lifestyle more affordable for people."
08:16 AM
Watch: How climate change will define Boris Johnson's legacy
It was David Cameron who originally said "vote blue, go green", but it has fallen to Boris Johnson to be the Conservative Prime Minister having to put green measures into action.
As COP26 gets underway, Mr Johnson has stressed the importance of coming away from the summit with serious commitments from world leaders.
His reputation for leadership on the world stage could be at stake.
But Mr Johnson is also facing significant pressure from his own party. Around 40 Conservative MPs have formed the Net Zero Scrutiny Group to warn of the high costs of implement the measures necessary for achieving the 2050 goal.
Watch the full analysis by The Telegraph's Deputy Political Editor Lucy Fisher in the video above.
08:15 AM
'Intense negotiations' to ensure countries hit climate targets, says Foreign Secretary
Liz Truss has said the UK would "put pressure" on countries to match targets and ensure funding for developing countries who are on "the frontline of climate change".
The Foreign Secretary repeated the Prime Minister's warning that the success of Cop26 was "touch and go", with much riding on how willing leaders are to commit to the "details" of funding packages.
"There will be really intense negotiations in the coming days, making sure more countries are willing to take action, and making sure we have finances to make sure countries can do what they need to do," she told Sky News. "We will put pressure on them to do just that."
Ms Truss also defended the need to meet in person, despite yesterday's travel chaos, saying Zoom would not be enough.
08:13 AM
Cop26 no-shows because of Covid, Foreign Secretary claims
Liz Truss has suggested the leaders of China, Brazil and Russia are not attending Cop26 because of Covid.
Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and Jair Bolsonaro are not expected to join around 120 world leaders in Glasgow over the coming days, but delegates from their respective regimes are.
The Foreign Secretary told Sky News: "Some of those leaders simply aren’t travelling" because of Covid.
"Those countries are all sending delegations here for negotiations," she added. "I have spoken to my Chinese counterpart, made it clear that we want to see more ambition.
"We will be working to hold all of those countries to account. It is a borderless problem, and we will only solve it if we have every single country on board."
08:11 AM
Fishing row must not overshadow Cop26, Foreign Secretary tells France
Liz Truss has said the row with France over fishing must cannot be allowed to overshadow Cop26.
The Foreign Secretary rejected suggestions that a deal had already been agreed, telling Sky News: "The deal hasn’t been done, the French have made completely unreasonable threats including to channel islands and our fishing industry.
She added: "We all know how important Cop is for all of us and our futures - this cannot be allowed to overshadow the most important conference of a generation."
08:00 AM
EU chief accuses UK of seeking Brexit clash
Brussels has warned the UK not to “embark on a path of confrontation”, amid tensions over Northern Ireland and post-Brexit fishing rights.
Ahead of a crunch week for UK-EU relations, Marcos Sefcovic, a European Commission vice-president, urged Lord Frost, his British counterpart, to back down and reconsider the EU’s proposals to reduce checks on British goods entering Northern Ireland under the protocol.
Writing in The Telegraph, Mr Sefcovic said: “I am increasingly concerned that the UK Government will refuse to engage with this and embark on a path of confrontation.”
Mr Sefcovic’s intervention comes after Boris Johnson accused France on Sunday of breaking the “spirit and letter” of the UK’s Brexit settlement with the EU, as the cross-Channel spat over fishing grew increasingly bitter.
Talks between UK and EU officials in Brussels over the Northern Ireland Protocol resume on Monday, with Lord Frost and Mr Sefcovic set to meet on Friday to decide whether progress has been made. The pair are also likely to discuss the row over fishing.
07:59 AM
Good Morning
After much anticipation, and no small amount of travel chaos, the good and the great have descended on Glasgow for Cop26.
But with no-shows from the leaders of China, Russia and Brazil, questions remain as to how successful the climate summit will be.
Meanwhile the fishing row between the UK and France threatens to overshadow the gathering, with tensions rising and neither side showing any sign of backing down. Here's today's front page.
