The BBC’s Chris Morris is following developments from Glasgow, and says there is a “diplomatic dance” going on when it comes to the language on the compensation poorer countries want from wealthier nations for the effects of climate change they are feeling – something called “loss and damage”.

“It’s money to deal with what’s already happened – part of the debate is how far back to you go?” our correspondent says.

He says the problem is if negotiators start talking about reparations, “the rich world simply backs out” because they don’t want to accept any language that suggests blame and risks being sued, which could potentially cost trillions of dollars.

Read more:

• Rich countries ‘pushing back’ on paying for climate loss
• How calls for climate justice are shaking the world

Laura Foster
BBC News correspondent in Glasgow

Image source, Getty Images

Cynics may feel that any agreements or pledges made at COP26 won’t mean a thing unless we can be sure countries stay true to their word.

It won’t be much consolation then that these pledges are not legally binding and there is no punishment if they stray.

But there is hope - the agreements and pledges may not be legally binding but political peer pressure can be a powerful thing.

David Waskow, International Climate Director at the World Resources Institute, says ‘these international agreements are taken very seriously.

"They’re not treaties so they don’t have that status [but] parties take them very seriously."

Kerry defending US positions on moneypublished at 14:11 Greenwich Mean Time 13 November 2021

14:11 GMT 13 November 2021

Adam Fleming
Chief political correspondent, reporting from Glasgow

Image source, Reuters

We've been seeing US climate envoy John Kerry in lots of different huddles.

A source who has been briefed by the Americans this morning says that he is defending three key US positions.

One is on limiting how much proceeds from the global trade in carbon markets will be used to help developing countries.

Another is over setting up a “dialogue” about further funding to help poorer countries deal with effects of climate change that are already happening - as the most recent draft text envisages - rather than setting up a dedicated fund straight away.

And the third is merely "considering" a doubling of the cash that helps countries adapt to climate change rather than committing to it.

The source also claimed that Alok Sharma’s announcement that the conference will end today was at America’s insistence.

Image source, Getty Images

As he postponed this afternoon's plenary session, Alok Sharma praised the work of negotiators overnight and called on delegates to reach an agreement on final outstanding issues.

"What has been put forward here is a balanced package," he said.

"Everyone has had the chance to have their say.

"And I hope that colleagues will appreciate what is on the table here, while not every aspect will be welcomed by everyone, collectively it is a package that really moves things forward for everyone."

Image source, EPA

After an almost two hour wait, COP26 president Alok Sharma has decided to formally push back the meeting to 14:30 GMT.

Countries have been waiting to give their view on the latest deal, but we've been seeing huddles develop as negotiations continue.

Sharma says there are a number of parties "still wanting to have a discussion and resolve issues".

He says it's "right and proper" to give people time to resolve the issues.

But he ends by firmly saying COP26 will close this afternoon.

Countries are now gathering at the COP26 venue to have their say on the draft agreement.

The summit president Alok Sharma will kick it off.

He had wanted this entire conference to have wrapped up by 18:00 yesterday - but we're now well into overtime.

And this latest set of discussions was meant to have started at midday.

He's finally starting to speak now. Stay with us for updates.

We're about to see what divisions remainpublished at 13:37 Greenwich Mean Time 13 November 2021

13:37 GMT 13 November 2021

Helen Briggs
Environment correspondent in Glasgow

Image source, EPA

We're still waiting for this session to start. It's running well behind, despite a plan to have talks concluded this afternoon.

It's called an "informal stocktaking plenary" and that basically means we'll hear where things stand and the views of different countries.

Going in, one official told us: "We are not there yet, the text is still being negotiated."

This is where we’ll find out what divisions remain - and there could be fireworks.

We've just had a bit of information through about exactly what's been happening in the hall before the session begins.

Greenpeace delegates who are inside say "the thing to watch is the huddles" - one noting that EU commissioner Frans Timmermans "has been walking all across the room".

He was huddling first with US envoy John Kerry - see the picture in the post below this - and "now a bigger group of different nations".

Another Greenpeace delegate says: "Guinea, who speak for G77 (group of developing nations) + China, made a point of finding John Kerry and they’re now in deep discussion.

"This is where the politics happens - the official plenary is yet to start."

Image source, Reuters

We're still waiting to hear what countries make of the latest draft agreement - in a session which was supposed to start at midday.

Despite COP26 president Alok Sharma's best efforts to get everyone seated, there are still plenty of delegates walking the conference floor.

Many are gathering in huddles as discussions over the deal go to the wire.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Getty Images

New Zealand's Climate Change Minister has offered a cautious welcome to the latest COP26 draft agreement.

Speaking to the BBC ahead of the afternoon discussions in Glasgow, James Shaw said he felt that the proposals set out have struck a fair balance.

"Recognising the fact that it is still only a draft, and that language can, and almost certainly will change before we get the final draft this afternoon, it looks to us like a balanced package, which is code language for saying it’s more likely to get agreement than not," he said.

"You know you’ve got a process here in which essentially any one country can, at least theoretically, veto the entire deal, so therefore kind of errs towards the lowest common denominator."

But he said that as there was a reference to phasing out coal for the first time, it's "pretty remarkable progress on where we were not that long ago".

Image source, Reuters

We're about to hear what individual countries think of the latest draft text.

So here's a reminder of what's in it and some of the key issues being discussed:

• The original commitment to double funding going to developing countries to help them adapt to climate change has been watered down to "urge" countries to do this

• Countries are still being asked to update their 2030 carbon-cutting targets by next year
• Calls to phase out "unabated coal power and inefficient fossil fuel subsidies" remain (unabated coal is coal produced without the use of carbon capture technology)
• It emphasises the need to "significantly increase support" for developing countries beyond $100bn a year
• It would establish a dialogue to look at the issue of money for the damage climate change has already caused

With COP26 now in extra time you could be excused for thinking the talks are in limbo - with some delegates looking to have have taken that quite literally.

Image source, Getty Images

The close of business on Friday evening had a celebratory feel as staff who had travelled from across the world bid farewell to Glasgow.

As well as a limbo session, there was also a Macarena dance and a conga line in the Pavilion Hall at the SEC summit venue.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

As we're still waiting for the nations to begin discussing the latest draft climate deal, here's some more reaction to what it contains.

Jennifer Tollman of the climate change think tank E3G says it is a "mixed bag" of proposals - but one which countries can work with.

She believes the final round of talks are starting in a pretty decent place, but still expects some "fireworks" when it comes to issues such as loss and damage. That refers to inevitable impacts of climate change that vulnerable countries simply won't be able to adapt to.

"We now have a proposition for a dialogue [over payment for loss and damage], but not a dialogue that ends in anything," she says.

"So we're going to talk about the lack of money for two years and then potentially not do anything about it.

"That's obviously something that small island developing states in particular will not welcome."

Laura Foster
BBC News correspondent

There's only one event on the schedule today, where we'll be hearing from individual countries about what they think about the latest draft of the climate deal.

How much they have to say will give us an indication of how and when this climate summit will end.

The COP26 site is split into two: the green zone is the one which is open to general public and has lots of exhibits, stalls and talks designed to get everyone interested in the fight against climate change.

But the main activities - the speeches, the protests etc - have been happening in the blue zone. That's where today's meeting is due to start any minute.

You have to have special accreditation to be here and the majority of people are politicians, scientists, charities, journalists as well as environmental campaigners and activists.

Throughout the last two weeks there have been hundreds of events happening every day.

But today it is noticeably quieter and the protests at the site entrance much smaller.

If you haven't realised by now - money remains a major issue at these talks, even in overtime.

Vanessa Perez-Cirera of WWF says the reference in the latest draft agreement urging developed countries to at least double their collective provision of funding to help developing nations adapt to climate change is positive.

However, she says countries like the US should put their weight behind something "more concrete".

Fernanda de Carvalho, WWF's global policy manager, says 2025 - the date by which that doubling in funding is meant to take place - is also too late.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is holding a panel discussion on the state of the negotiations.

Kate White, from WWF UK, who we heard from on the BBC a little earlier, tells the event the UK presidency has "run with keeping 1.5 alive".

That's the goal of limiting global warming to less than 1.5C - after the 2015 Paris climate change agreement, the goal was well below 2 degrees.

"The political anchor is now rightly at 1.5," she says.

However, Vanessa Perez-Cirera, WWF's global deputy leader for climate and energy, says the goal "is hanging by a thread".

She says it is "historic" that the draft text included a reference to phasing out fossil fuel subsidies - but that all fossil fuels are "inefficient" - so the text should not specify only phasing out "inefficient" subsidies.

Image source, Getty Images

If and when a new deal is signed at the climate summit in Glasgow, you might be left wondering what it will mean for you.

Here are some ways your life could be affected:

• Switching to an electric car is among a number of lifestyle changes many people are likely to be making. Dozens of countries have agreed to ramp up the use of electric vehicles and bring in new zero-emission buses and trucks
• Many nations have committed to switching to greener power. For countries like the UK this will mean continuing the move towards renewable sources such as wind and solar energy - and possibly more reliance on nuclear energy
• In future, we may see the cost of a product's carbon emissions being added to the price we pay at the till through carbon taxes
• And nature's role in fighting climate change was high on the agenda at Glasgow so we may see the benefits in greener spaces around our towns and cities

Read more about how the COP26 agreements could affect you here. , external

Kate White, executive director for advocacy and campaigns at the World Wide Fund for Nature, says the draft text has many good elements but faster action is needed.

She tells the BBC it is positive to have a mention of fossil fuels - which has never happened before - but more progress is needed on financial support for developing nations.

"We need to make sure that those developed countries are stepping up," she says.

"We need to work on what's come out of this in the months ahead," she adds. "I think the next year has to be about delivery, delivery, delivery."

The WWF is just starting a press conference on the new draft agreements, so we will bring you more from them when we have it.

Adam Fleming
Chief political correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

A sentence about phasing out coal power and government subsidies for fossil fuels has remained in the latest draft of the Glasgow text, to the surprise of some.

A phrase about “a just transition” has been added. This means fossil fuel-producing countries can refuse to do things if they feel it will make them or their citizens poorer. To some, it will be further watering down of the pledge, but to others it’s fair - and a way to ensure this unprecedented sentence stays in the final deal.

A solution also seems to have been found for the two big sticking points on the finance developing countries get from the richer ones.

Poorer countries wanted more cash to help them adapt to climate change. One of the texts calls for a doubling of the amount of money earmarked for this. But another text calls for doubling to be “considered.” This means receiving countries can be hopeful of more money and donor countries aren’t obliged to give it.

Less developed countries also want money for what they call “loss and damage” - effectively compensation for the effects of climate change being felt now as a result of historic emissions by wealthier countries.

This has been strongly opposed by the US and others, but now there will be a “dialogue” to look at the issue.

That it’s being addressed at all is a victory for the poorer countries, but it’s being done in a way that doesn’t require any upfront commitments from the richer ones. Again, another compromise.

Image source, Getty Images

Any line in the draft agreement about phasing out the burning of fossil fuels was always going to be a contentious one.

Greenpeace International have described the wording as "weak and compromised" but insist the fact it is there at all is a breakthrough.

The group's executive director Jennifer Morgan said: “The coal and subsidies language now includes a reference to a just transition and that is very welcome.

"Fossil fuel interests should be put on notice, the deal on the table is weak but if they gut it they’ll have to answer to the young, to people on the frontline of climate impacts and ultimately to history."