Cop26 President Alok Sharma to urge countries to act on Glasgow agreement

Alok Sharma will urge countries to deliver on the pledges made at Cop26 so they are not “just words on a page” in his first major speech since the summit.

Addressing stakeholders, business leaders and reporters at Chatham House in central London at around midday on Monday, the Cop26 President is due to encourage countries to work together on their commitments.

Through the Glasgow Climate Pact signed in November, 197 countries agreed to strengthen their emissions-cutting targets for 2030 by the end of next year in an attempt to limit global warming climbing above 1.5C.

Negotiators also agreed to the weaker commitment of “phasing down” the use of coal after China and India declined to agree to it being “phased out” completely.

Mr Sharma is expected to say: “There is no doubt that the commitments we secured at Cop26 were historic.

“Yet at the moment they are just words on a page. And unless we honour the promises made, to turn the commitments in the Glasgow Climate Pact into action, they will wither on the vine.

“We will have mitigated no risks. Seized no opportunities. We will have fractured the trust built between nations. And 1.5 degrees will slip from our grasp.

“So my absolute focus for the UK Presidency year is delivery.”

The cabinet minister recently visited the Cop27 President, Egypt, and Cop28 President UAE to underline the importance of building strong partnerships ahead of the next summits.

He will also be meeting the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) next week to discuss implementation of the measures agreed in Glasgow.