Response to COP26 draft agreement

Responding to the publication of the draft agreement at the COP26 summit in Glasgow, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:

“The draft cover text is a start, but it must be the floor - not the ceiling. The imperative for leaders now - on climate finance and the pathway to 1.5 degrees - is to negotiate the ambition significantly upwards. It must not be watered down. It is vital that the world emerges from COP 26 with 1.5 degrees well and truly alive, and closing the finance gap is key to that. It is also a moral obligation developed countries owe to those less developed and most vulnerable to the impact of climate change.

“I welcome the Prime Minister’s return to Glasgow today, and urge him to stay for as long as necessary until a deal is done. As has been the case all along, I will do everything I can to assist and support these efforts.

“This is a moment that future generations will judge. Either we will be judged to have failed in the face of climate catastrophe or, alternatively, to have taken a decisive step towards sustainability for our planet. It must be the latter. In the words of a Marshall Islands minister I met yesterday - “for countries like mine, we don’t have many COPs left - the time to act is now.””