US President Joe Biden has addressed the UN's COP27 climate change summit in Egypt
He says the US is on track to meeting its emissions targets by 2030 and that the climate crisis is about "the very life of the planet"
Biden has pushed through sweeping green laws, but has not delivered the US's fair share of climate funding for poor countries
About 200 countries are negotiating next steps on cutting the emissions that cause global warming at the conference in Sharm el-Sheikh
The UN says progress on cutting emissions has been "woefully inadequate" since COP26 in Glasgow last year
The US and China are the world's two biggest greenhouse gas emitters, but talks between them have paused because of tensions over Taiwan
The planet has already warmed 1.1C since pre-industrial times and scientists say rises must be limited to 1.5C by 2100 to avoid the worst effects
But experts say if we carry on as we are, we're on track for an increase of about 2.7C
Image source, ReutersUS President Joe Biden is expected to address delegates at the COP27 summit in Sharm el-Sheikh at about 15:30 GMT (17:30 local time).
Biden's visit to the climate summit will only last a few hours as he's due to fly to Cambodia tonight. Before his speech, he met with Egyptian President, Abdul Fattah al-Sisi.
We'll be bringing you live updates as Biden takes to the stage.
Fridays For Future protesters march at COP27
Protesters from Fridays For Future have been marching around the COP27 venue calling for action from world leaders.
The youth-led global climate movement was started by Greta Thunberg in 2018.
Methane, one of the most potent greenhouse gases, is responsible for a third of current human-generated warming.
In the US, for instance, it often leaks from oil and gas rigs – something the Global Methane Pledge vowed to tackle.
Following the news – reported in our last post – that levels of methane last year had their biggest annual increase since records began, scientists have been left concerned.
Historically, farming and oil and gas production have been the main sources of methane. But this sudden increase could be the result of climate change itself.
As the world gets warmer it begins to breakdown organic material – dead plants and animals – in wetlands and peatlands, which releases methane into the atmosphere. The warmer it gets, the more quickly this happens – this is known as a feedback cycle.
So, what now? We wait to hear what US President Joe Biden sets out in his speech to tackle methane emissions. Stay tuned for the latest on that.
Image source, PA MediaThen UK PM Boris Johnson arrives at COP26 last year
At last year’s UN climate summit – COP26 – a scheme led by the US and EU to cut 30% of methane emissions by 2030 was agreed by more than 100 countries. It’s called the Global Methane Pledge.
The world’s biggest emitters – China, Russia and India – didn’t sign up to the pledge in Glasgow, where last year’s summit was held, although China did agree a deal with the US to work on the issue.
Last month, though, the World Meteorological Organisation found, external that methane had seen the biggest annual increase in 2021 since records began nearly 40 years ago. The causes of the jump are still being investigated by scientists.
With US President Joe Biden joining other world leaders and dignitaries at COP27 today, let’s take a quick look at one of the key issues that’s sure to come up: methane.
In his speech later, Biden's set to ramp up efforts to reduce the greenhouse gas by taking aim at oil wells - including smaller ones that emit less than 3 tons (2.7 metric tonnes) of methane per year.
Drill hole operators will now be required to respond to credible third-party reports of high-volume methane leaks, reports suggest.
The new rules, to be enforced by the US Environmental Protection Agency, follows up on the Global Methane Pledge created at last year's COP summit by the US and EU. (There'll be more about that in our next post.)
Ali Zaidi, the White House's national climate adviser, who's already in Egypt, told reporters that the planned crackdown was part of the Biden administration’s aim to "root out emissions everywhere we can find them".
Image source, ReutersBiden sat down with Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi earlier
Climate change has different effects in different areas of the world. Some places will warm more than others, some will receive more rainfall and others will face more droughts.
If the global temperature rise cannot be kept within 1.5C:
Image source, ReutersHabiba Bile and her children stand near the carcasses of their dead livestock following severe droughts near Dollow, Somalia
Simon King
BBC weather presenter and meteorologist
It has just, provisionally, been the warmest November night in Scotland and Northern Ireland with the temperature not going below 14.5C.
This is a good ten degrees higher than the average for the time of year.
November, and indeed autumn so far, has been characterised by milder conditions across the UK.
Nearly half a month in, the mean UK temperature has been around 3C higher than average, following a September and October where the UK mean temperature was 0.5C and 1.8C higher respectively
The current mild conditions are due to the jet stream - a fast moving wind high in the atmosphere - that has meandered a long way south and north again, sending warmer air across Europe and the UK.
This weather pattern, while fairly unusual for the time of year, is not linked to climate change.
However, the warmer weather we’ve experienced this autumn and the extreme overnight temperatures just seen are the types of conditions we’re likely to experience more frequently in the future with climate change.
Raffi Berg
BBC Online Middle East editor
Image source, PA MediaAlaa Abdel Fattah is one of Egypt's most prominent human rights activists
Away from the climate discussions, US President Joe Biden is also holding talks with Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi amid heightened concern over the fate of jailed British-Egyptian pro-democracy activist Alaa Abdel Fattah.
There's been no independent confirmation about Mr Abdel Fattah's condition since he is said to have received "medical intervention" on Thursday, days after he began refusing water as part of a long hunger strike.
Egypt's prosecutor general said he was in "good health" and did not need to be transferred to hospital. His family say they have no proof if he is even alive.
Earlier this week a White House official said human rights would "feature prominently" in Mr Biden's talks with Egyptian leaders at the summit.
A human rights activist and blogger, Mr Abdel Fattah, 40, was jailed in December for allegedly "spreading false news". He has become a symbol of the 60,000 political prisoners believed by human rights groups to be languishing in Egyptian jails, though Egypt insists there are none.
It’s day six of COP27. Here’s a flavour of what’s happening on the sidelines of the UN’s summit in Sharm el-Sheikh.
Image source, REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El GhanyThese activists themed their climate message around the world’s biggest boy band, South Korea’s BTS.
Image source, Getty ImagesThese protesters wore gags to call for freedom for imprisoned environmental and human rights activists around the world.
Image source, EPAA panda made of plastic waste makes a point outside the COP27 Green Zone.
Image source, ReutersEgyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi took a bicycle tour of the Green Zone.
Shirley Adilson Silva, from Latin American foundation ‘Fundación Avina’ wears indigenous dress to the summit.
Matt McGrath
Environment correspondent
Love them or hate them, no-one can ignore the US when it comes to climate change.
They are the critical player in the UN climate talks process because of history and economic muscle.
The problem of climate warming is due, in no small part, to the massive historic emissions of the US.
But the solutions, as detailed in the Paris agreement and Glasgow climate pact, wouldn’t exist without them.
After the withdrawal from the Paris pact under President Trump, there is no doubt the conference has wholeheartedly welcomed the US back in under Biden.
And his signature climate bill, the Inflation Reduction Act, is perhaps the most important piece of legislation ever passed to rein in rising temperatures.
The spending envisioned will boost green transition efforts far beyond America’s shores.
But while Mr Biden will feel the warmth of the conference as he arrives, there will also be cooler questions about money.
Speaking last year in Glasgow, the President promised to double US climate aid to over $11bn by 2024.
There is still no clarity on how or if that money will be delivered.
Image source, ReutersUS President Joe Biden has arrived at Sharm el-Sheikh to attend COP27.
He's expected to hold talks with Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi and deliver a speech in the next couple of hours.
We'll bring his appearance at the summit to you live, at about 15:30.
If you're just joining us, we've been listening in on a panel of US politicians - including Speaker Nancy Pelosi - as they shared their views about the climate at COP27.
Joined by the likes of Kathy Castor, who chairs the US House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, Pelosi opened the discussion with some remarks about the Biden administration's climate-related legislation.
Praising the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) as "historic" and "groundbreaking," she "saluted" US President Joe Biden for making climate change "part of his agenda".
Pelosi also said the fight against climate change should be about more than just survival.
Other speakers at the included:
Image source, Reuters
Image source, ReutersJoining Nancy Pelosi at COP27 is a delegation of US politicians.
Following Pelosi's opening remarks is US Representative Cathy Castor.
She talks about the war in Ukraine, that she says is raising the costs of fuel for everyone - and says the way out is "clean, affordable energy",
Castor highlights the need to reduce the use of fossil fuels and says the US is ramping up its support of vulnerable nations and response to the global climate emergency.
Rounding off her remarks, Nancy Pelosi repeatedly praises US President Joe Biden for his work in this field.
She "salutes" him for making climate change "part of his agenda" and says the Inflation Reduction Act - overseen by Biden - "crossed a threshold".
This can be passed on to countries around the world, she adds.
"In every way, he has said when we do this, we have to do it right," she says of Biden, before "saluting" him once more.
Pelosi tells delegates: "As we have discussed this issue for decades many of us... it's always been about survival of the planet."
But she added: "We want more than survival, we want more than success."
Again extolling the virtues of the US climate legislation, she says: "We want to be transformative in the lives of Amercian people and share that with the rest of the world."
Pelosi goes on to say the US government has spoken to parliamentarians from around the world about climate change.
She says the legislation passed in the US - namely the Inflation Reduction Act - is "just and fair".
Issues such as healthcare and good jobs come hand in hand with environmental issues, she says.
Humans have a "moral responsibility" to be good stewards for the world, which she says belongs to God - but points out you don't need to be religious to agree we should look after it.
Image source, ReutersNancy Pelosi hails Congress passing the Inflation Reduction Act a couple of months ago, calling it "historic legislation" in terms of vision and the amount of money committed "and in terms of hope it's given people".
The Act has and will make a significant difference, she says.
We're about to hear from Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the US House of Representatives, who's in Sharm El-Sheikh.
We'll bring you the key lines from her speech as soon as we have them.
Esme Stallard
Climate change reporter at COP27
Biden arrives almost a week into the COP27 conference, and has a lot to catch up on.
These summits follow a predictable pattern – the first week is an unbroken stream of announcements of new plans and partnerships. It is only into the second week when we start to see news from the negotiations.
The biggest announcements we have seen, so far, come from the hosts of this year’s conference, Egypt.
On Tuesday, they launched the Sharm El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda, which will bring governments and non-state actors - businesses, charities, etc - together to help more than 4 billion people prepare better for climate change. This will include investing $1tn (£852bn) in environmental solutions such as restoring wetlands.
Image source, ReutersBiden salutes from Air Force One last night as he departs Joint Base Andrews in Maryland to attend COP27
Money is crucial in turning the wheels on climate action. And there have been smaller announcements from individual countries to pledge more money. Scotland, Denmark and China have all said they will give money to ‘loss and damage’, whilst back on the opening day of COP27, the UK Prime Minister pledged to triple the UK’s climate adaptation budget to £1.5bn.
In Biden’s speech today he too is expecting to announce increases to US spending on global adaptation to climate, and also strong regulations on methane emissions – one of the most potent greenhouse gas emissions which has risen rapidly in the last year.
Georgina Rannard and Esme Stallard
Climate reporters
Image source, Getty ImagesAmid the backdrop of COP27, climate experts told the BBC that progress in 2022 has been slow - with governments around the world distracted by global energy and financial crises. But there are also rays of hope.
Our climate reporters looked at developments in several key countries and the EU:
You can read more about progress in these countries, as well as China, India and the UK here.