UN Secretary General speech at #COP26: "We know what must be done" as negotiations centre on draft decision texts

UN Secretary General setting the tone for the final days of negotiations, arguing we need ambition in the COP26 decision text and in the CMA (Paris Agreement) Decision text.

The Draft decision text as of Friday morning still mentions coal and fossil fuels. The original Paris Agreement does not mention coal, oil or gas, or fossil fuels even once. Will it survive till the gavel comes down?

Veteran climate journalist Ed King has summarised current status, and he argues the draft text appears to maintain reasonable ambition:

"The latest COP26 draft political text landed at 0713 (UK time), and appears significantly more balanced with stronger elements on adaptation, finance and loss & damage. The elements of the text aimed at speeding up action to close the gap towards emissions goals are there - with no radical changes from the previous version and dates still intact. The language on coal has been qualified but has survived the night, which many predicted it wouldn't." 

• Para 27: New UN work programme to scale up GHG cuts, reporting at COP27 in 2022
• Para 28: 'Urges' [strong language] countries who have not landed new plans to do so by 2022
• Para 29: Requests all countries to raise climate targets in line with 1.5-2C by and of 2022
• Para 30: Commissions annual UN assessment of climate plans from 2022
• Para 32: Urges [strong] countries to deliver net zero mid century plans by 2022
• Para 36: Signal to countries to accelerate shift off fossil fuels, coal to renewable energy
• Para 44: Notes "deep regret" of developed countries for missing $100bn target 
• Para 46: Urges countries' to 'fully deliver on the $100 billion goal 'urgently' through 2025
• Para 66: Welcomes further operationalisation of the Santiago Network on Loss and Damage
• Para 67: Decides [very strong] the Santiago Network will have a technical assistance facility to provide financial support for technical assistance on loss and damage 

UN Secretary General calls for leaders worldwide to declare a State of Climate Emergency

United Nations Secretary General at the Climate Ambition Conference called for all leaders to declare a climate emergency.

While previously aknowledging that we have a climate emergency, this is the first time Antonio Guterres has called for all Government leaders to declare a climate emergency.

The pandemic has cancelled this years UN climate change conference - COP26 - scheduled for Glasgow December 2020. But an online conference of leaders was organised to mark the 5th anniversary of the Paris Agreement: the Climate Ambition Summit.

Antonio Guiterres told the summit: "I call on leaders worldwide to declare a State of Climate Emergency in their countries until carbon neutrality is reached.

"Five years after the Paris Agreement, we are still not going in the right direction.

"Let’s make the promise of a net zero world a reality."

Greta Thunberg addresses UN secretary general António Guterres at COP24 on climate change

Greta Thunberg, the 15 year old Swedish student who started a climate strike outside the Swedish parliament, and initiated a global movement of students and kids for climate action, is at the United Nations climate change conference in Katowice, Poland, COP24, and addressed the UN Secretary General António Guterres.

She did not mince her words, but spoke directly to what is needed, what will happen.

Here is the full transcript: