Justin Rowlatt
Climate editor, Sharm el-Sheikh

Two Democratic heavyweights have told the BBC the US will stay focused on climate action, despite the probable loss of one or both houses of Congress.

Nancy Pelosi, the current speaker of the House of Representatives, said America’s progress on climate action has come in the last year despite not getting "one Republican vote" for Biden’s climate legislation.

But Al Gore, the former US vice president, said the Inflation Reduction Act – Biden’s key climate legislation - will “be virtually impossible for opponents to turn over or reverse”.

Gore says that is because the $369bn (£314bn), allocated under the act for climate action, will bring tax credits and subsidies for clean energy in many strongly Republican areas.

The final vote tally of November’s mid-terms were not in when we spoke, but Pelosi said if the Republicans do take the House "we’d still like to have bipartisanship in saving the planet".

"I hope that when they have more responsibility, they will take responsibility," she added.

And she thinks this election shows young people support the Democrats' work on climate change.

"Public sentiment is everything," she said, quoting Abraham Lincoln: "With it you can accomplish almost anything, without it practically nothing."

We know the world is now about 1.1C warmer than it was in the 19th Century - and the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere has risen by 50%, external.

And climate scientists are warning unless further action is taken, the planet could still warm by more than 2C , externalby 2100.

If nothing is done, scientists think global warming could exceed 4C , externalin the future, leading to devastating heatwaves, millions losing their homes to rising sea levels, and the irreversible loss of plant and animal species.

Image source, .

Georgina Rannard and Esme Stallard
Climate reporters

The US made a huge leap forward this year when it passed sweeping new laws to confront climate change. Measures within the Inflation Reduction Act could reduce US greenhouse gas emissions - those gases that warm the atmosphere - by 40% by 2030.

"This is the biggest investment in climate solutions in US history. It's a huge sign of progress," Dan Lashof, US director at the World Resources Institute, told BBC News.

The bill aims to make green energy the default in major sectors like electricity, transport and industry. The most obvious result for consumers is a tax credit of around $7,500 (£6,500) for those who buy an electric car.

But it is not all good news. After a senior US politician controversially visited Taiwan, China ended its co-operation with the US on climate - which could seriously affect international climate negotiations.

And in response to the energy crisis, President Joe Biden released 15m barrels of oil from reserves on to the market and approved new leases for oil and gas drilling.

The US has also not delivered its fair share of finance to support developing countries suffering the most from climate change, which could damage relations at COP27.

Image source, Getty Images

Esme Stallard
Climate change reporter at COP27

Every day you come to the conference it seems to get a little bit busier, the queues for coffee get a little bit longer and the buzz continues to grow in the pavilions.

And the atmosphere is particularly electric today with the imminent arrival of President Biden.

He was absent for the World Leaders Summit at the beginning of the week, and many of the world’s prime ministers and presidents have now left.

This only adds to the focus on the President, who is expected to make new commitments on regulating methane, money for adaptation and will launch a Climate Gender Fund.

That’s a lot to cram into the 2 hours and 50 minutes we have been told he will be here for.

As the COP 27 summit continues in Egypt, a new study by the Met Office,, external which provides weather and climate analysis, has highlighted extreme events across the globe attributed to human-caused climate change.

Scientists considered several factors including heavy rainfall, extreme temperatures and drought to pull out examples of our changing world. Their findings, as set out in the report, include:

"United Kingdom, July 2022

Record high temperatures of over 40C across wide areas of England. Over 1000 excess deaths in over-65s. Thirteen deaths from drowning. Widespread disruption to railway network. Multiple wildfires, numerous private houses destroyed. London Fire Brigade had busiest day since Second World War. Event would have been 4C cooler in pre-industrial times.

India and Pakistan, March 2022

At least 90 deaths across India and Pakistan, glacial lake outburst flood in northern Pakistan, forest fires in India. 10-35% reduction in crop yields in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab. Extreme heat 30 times more likely due to climate change.

Pacific Northwest, North America 2021

Record temperature for Canada of 49.6C. 1,400 excess deaths in USA and Canada. Extensive wildfires, disruption to rail and road infrastructure, flooding due to rapid snowmelt. Extreme heat at this level is virtually impossible without human-caused climate change.

Siberia, 2020

Record temperature of 38C north of Arctic Circle. Forest fires affecting hundreds of thousands of hectares, thawing of permafrost, rapid growth of damaging swarms of Siberian silk moth."

Prof Richard Betts MBE, who led the study said: “It is clear from our analysis that all regions of the world are experiencing increases in extreme weather or other impacts of climate change, and these are costing lives and causing widespread environmental and economic damage.”

The world is now about 1.1C warmer than it was in the 19th Century and scientists say temperature rises must slow down if we want to avoid the worst consequences of climate change.

They say global warming needs to be kept to 1.5C by 2100 - but unless further action is taken, the planet could still warm by more than 2C by the end of this century.

If nothing is done, scientists think global warming could exceed 4C, leading to devastating heatwaves, millions losing their homes to rising sea levels and irreversible loss of plant and animal species.

Image source, .

Image source, Essex Police

In the UK, Just Stop Oil activists are halting their protests on the M25 with immediate effect, the group says.

Demonstrators from the environmental group have been blocking parts of the busy motorway for four days, leading to multiple arrests.

No protests would be held on Friday or in the "foreseeable future", a spokesman said. The pause would allow the government "to do the right thing".

"We're not saying we're going back to the motorway, but we're not saying we won't go back either. But we've stopped this for the moment," they said.

Just Stop Oil has said it wants the government to halt new licences for the exploration of oil and other fossil fuels in the UK.

The protests were staged as the COP27 climate summit was being held in Egypt.

Read more on the M25 protests here.

Esme Stallard
BBC News, Climate change reporter

Image source, PHILIPPE LOPEZ

At last year’s COP26, almost 200 countries agreed to “keep 1.5C alive” – referring to a goal first set out in the Paris Agreement of 2015 to limit global warming to 1.5C compared to pre-industrial levels.

But a new report suggests emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) are rising so quickly there is now a 50% chance the world will cross that crucial threshold soon.

The report, published by the Global Carbon Project, finds that emissions for 2022 will likely remain at record levels – in part because of the number of people flying again after the Covid-19 pandemic.

If global average temperatures were to rise to more than 1.5C, the UN says, external it would expose millions more people to potentially devastating climate impacts – particularly in poorer and developing countries.

Read more on the report’s findings here.

It has been a year since the world's governments committed to new, more ambitious climate pledges at the UN summit in Glasgow.

Here’s what they agreed:

• to "phase down" the use of coal - one of the most polluting fossil fuels
• to stop deforestation by 2030
• to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030
• to submit new climate action plans to the UN
• to phase out inefficient oil and gas subsidies

But since then the world has seen the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a global energy crisis, and political upheaval in some countries.

As governments meet again in Egypt, to reflect on progress, have they kept their climate promises?

You can read more here.

Image source, Reuters

In a line: The COP27 summit from 6 - 18 November brings world leaders together to discuss tackling climate change.

Why it matters: Fossil fuel emissions caused by humans are causing global warming and we’re already seeing extreme weather events linked to climate change. Urgent action is needed to avoid catastrophic consequences for the planet and the people living on it.

Why is it called COP27? UN climate summits are held every year, for governments to agree steps to limit global temperature rises. COP stands for "Conference of the Parties". The parties are the attending countries that signed up to the original UN climate agreement in 1992. This is the 27th COP - last year Glasgow hosted COP26.

What’s on the agenda: A key part of the process is individual countries setting targets on how they will cut emissions. Increased targets were set in Glasgow, but even if met, those still aren’t enough to limit warming to the target of 1.5C, which scientists say is crucial for avoiding the worst impacts. Egypt, the host, wants to focus on how commitments are implemented. Poor countries that are already struggling with the impacts of climate change want more money.

Image source, Reuters

Hello and thanks for joining us as we near the end of the first week of the COP27 climate summit.

It's set to be a busy day as US President Joe Biden arrives fresh off the back of the US midterms. He'll make a speech at about 17:30 local time (15:30 GMT).

A few hours before that, we're due to hear from Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the US House of Representatives, who's already in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

It's decarbonisation day at COP and new announcements are expected around the Global Methane Pledge, heralded by the US and EU at the Glasgow summit last year.

Stay tuned for all the latest.