COP26: Boris Johnson urges countries to ‘pull out all the stops’ at Glasgow summit as draft agreement revealed

Boris Johnson has urged countries to “pull out all the stops” to secure action to limit dangerous global warming in the final days of COP26.

The Prime Minister was speaking ahead of returning to the climate summit in Glasgow on Wednesday, where negotiators are set to inspect a first draft of a “cover decision” – a negotiated outcome to the talks that aims to boost climate action.

The agreement urges countries to strengthen their emissions-cutting plans for the 2020s in the next year.

It also calls for long-term strategies by the end of next year to reach net-zero emissions by around mid-century, to curb warming to 1.5C.

The document, which was published by the UK Cop26 presidency around six hours later than expected, will have to be negotiated and agreed by countries attending the talks.

It says that meeting the goal to limit global warming to 1.5C – which countries pledged to try to pursue under the Paris climate accord – needs meaningful and effective action in “this critical decade”.

At a glance: 5 key points

• First draft of “cover decision” from the talks to be looked at
• Prime Minister to meet with negotiators to find out what progress has been made
• Mr Johnson said countries need to put differences aside
• Finance for developing nations also being discussed
• UN Secretary General will join PM in Glasgow

Negotiators are also trying to agree on technical parts of the global climate treaty, the Paris Agreement.

This includes common timeframes for national commitments on emissions reductions and agreed ways for countries to report on their progress, to help turn pledges into action.

There are also talks on providing finance for developing countries to cope with climate change and address the issue of loss and damage to people, livelihoods, land and infrastructure caused by global warming in poorer nations.

What has Boris Johnson said?

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Negotiating teams are doing the hard yards in these final days of COP26 to turn promises into action on climate change.

“There’s still much to do. Today I’ll be meeting with ministers and negotiators to hear about where progress has been made and where the gaps must be bridged.

“This is bigger than any one country and it is time for nations to put aside differences and come together for our planet and our people.

“We need to pull out all the stops if we’re going to keep 1.5C within our grasp.”

What are the hopes for the outcome of talks?

Countries are positioning themselves for the final days of negotiations, with Nick Mabey from climate think tank E3G suggesting “a high ambition outcome is still on the table” and momentum is with those countries pushing for ambition.

A “High Ambition Coalition” of vulnerable countries and others including the US and Europe countries is calling for nations to submit action plans in line with limiting temperatures to 1.5C in the next year and long term plans to meet the target by 2023, though there is pushback from other countries.

Finance for developing countries is also key to the talks.

Robin Mace-Snaith, lead climate analyst for aid agency CAFOD, said: “We have to get new, additional, and needs-based loss and damage finance and a system to deliver it to vulnerable communities in low-income countries.

“At the same time, there needs to be a place in the UN climate process to formalise these discussions, so countries can be held accountable for their promises.”

“With the PM due to be back on Wednesday at COP, we hope he gets this over the line and delivers the action needed on loss and damage.”

The Prime Minister will be joined by the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in Glasgow, where he will meet with heads of delegations and other groups.

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