Image source, Getty Images

Environmental charity Greenpeace is planning to sail the Rainbow Warrior up the Clyde to the COP26 summit despite warnings from Glasgow's port authorities.

The vessel will carry youth strikers from nations worst-affected by climate change to demand that world leaders "stop failing us", in the words of banners hung from the ship's masts and bows.

The custom-built ship, which runs primarily on wind power, set sail from Liverpool on Saturday night, but was told it could not travel up the Clyde as the area was controlled by police. Greenpeace said the captain decided to ignore the warnings because the activists' message was crucial to COP26's success.

This is the third vessel named Rainbow Warrior which Greenpeace has used for its protests: the first was bombed by the French intelligence service in 1985, and the second was replaced in 2011.

Image source, Reuters

We want to bring you a bit more now from the opening ceremony earlier.

Patricia Espinosa, executive secretary of the UNFCCC - the environmental treaty that created the COP process - told delegates: “We stand at a pivotal point in history”.

She urged countries to come together to make progress in Glasgow, saying every day that delays the implementation of the Paris agreement “is a wasted day”.

"We must look beyond the numbers to the humans they represent," she said.

"The data is unequivocal – we must limit the global temperature rise to 1.5C by the end of the century. We must use the science and act upon it."

She concluded: "Consider the trust vested in you by billions – and achieve success, not just for our generation, but for all generations to come."

Debbie Jackson
BBC Scotland

Ben Shakespeare Ferguson runs The Steamie café in Finnieston, one of the areas closest to the COP26 venue.He was concerned on Saturday when the café was empty and thinks people stayed away believing the main road was closed.

Sunday has been “chaos” so far, he said. “We’ve had a lot of diplomats shouting on phones and people coming in asking for a table of nine, when the maximum we can do is four. But everyone has been nice so far.

“It’s the last chance to sort climate change and we are at a tipping point, so we can put up with a bit of inconvenience.”

Four doors down, it’s a different story at Locker 1012. Student Ewan Duncan, who works there, has not come across any delegates yet but has felt the effects of the restrictions on the area.

“We have been given instructions from the council on how to put our bins out, to try to make the city look nicer.

"All eyes are on Glasgow and they have tried to make the city look nice. They have done things like put 4G in the subway, but I’m not sure if they will take that away when COP26 is over.

“It seems like they are trying to polish up the city and I don’t think they need to do that.”

Image source, EPA

Leaders of the world's major economies have set an ambition to reach carbon neutrality "by or around mid-century" as they end a G20 summit ahead of the COP26 climate conference.

In a draft of their final communique seen by the BBC, the G20 say they have also agreed to pursue efforts to limit global warming to 1.5C.

That goes further than the 2015 Paris agreement, in which much of the world agreed to keep global warming "well below" 2C, and ideally closer to 1.5C.

The draft communique calls for "meaningful and effective actions and a commitment by all countries", a softer form of words than an early draft which mentioned "immediate action".

BBC Rome correspondent Mark Lowen said there had been suggestions that Italy had been pushing for a commitment from the G20 to reduce carbon emissions to net-zero by 2050, but there had been resistance from China, which relies extensively on coal power, to set that date.

He said the communique would be seen as progress going into Glasgow, but it included few concrete actions.

The G20 - made up of 19 countries and the European Union - represent between them 80% of the world's carbon emissions.

Image source, Getty Images

Half a degree might not sound like a lot when you’re relaxing in the sun, but it could have huge and potentially catastrophic effects on our global climate.

Right now the world is on average at least 1.1C warmer than it was at the end of the 19th Century, with significant impacts all over the planet.

• If average global temperatures are kept below 1.5C above pre-industrial levels by 2100, ice sheets and glaciers will continue melting and sea levels will rise. But keeping the rise limited to that level would reduce levels of mass flooding and prevent millions of people from losing their homes to rising seas. It could also reduce the number of people struggling to access water by 50% as opposed to the situation with a 2C increase, according to Nasa.

• At 2C, life could become unbearable for many. All tropical coral reefs would be destroyed and flooding would worsen. Huge numbers of animals and plant species would lose their habitats and many more people would face extreme heat than with 1.5C.

• Warming of 3C upwards would have truly disastrous implications for our planet, with hundreds of millions of people displaced from their homes due to sea level rises

The hard work starts nowpublished at 13:14 Greenwich Mean Time 31 October 2021

13:14 GMT 31 October 2021

Helen Briggs
Environment Correspondent, BBC News, Glasgow

Taking over the COP presidency, Alok Sharma summed up the challenge in a few words: to “ensure where Paris promised, Glasgow delivers”.

Today is largely about ceremony; but as the conference opens in a rainy city, it’s clear the hard work starts now.

The spectre of Covid is evident in masks, social distancing and fist bumps – and has already posed logistical challenges with some delegates from poorer nations unable to travel, raising concerns in a key area – equity.

There’s already been an admission that rich nations are unlikely to fully deliver on their long-held pledge on climate finance for poorer nations until 2023.

And G20 leaders in Rome are still hammering out a communique on climate change which could set the tone for the two weeks of negotiations ahead. We're expecting more on that shortly.

Image source, Getty Images

Let's zoom in now on a specific UK issue that troubles climate campaigners.

COP president Alok Sharma, also a Conservative MP, was pressed earlier on whether the UK government could retain its moral authority at the climate change summit if it allows plans for the development of a new oil and gas field in the North Sea to go ahead.

Sharma told the BBC's Andrew Marr that there was yet to be a decision on the Cambo oilfield project but said that there would be "climate compatibility" checks on the granting of any future oil and gas licenses.

He also said any approved projects would have to be compatible with the legal requirement for the UK to reach net zero by 2050.

But the International Energy Agency says to reach Paris Agreement targets, countries should not be approving any new oil and gas fields from this year.

The Cambo oil field to the west of the Shetland Islands contains over 800m barrels of oil. If approval is given, drilling could start as early at 2022.

Find out more: Is a new oil field climate change hypocrisy?

Discussion of government-set climate targets and warnings of environmental destruction can make you feel powerless.

But what can we do as individuals to reduce our carbon footprint?

A report released last year outlined a list of the 10 best ways for people to reduce their carbon footprints.

At the top of the list were:

• Living car-free, which saves an average of 2.04 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per person annually
• Driving a battery electric car, which saves 1.95 tonnes of CO2
• Taking one less long-haul flight each year - 1.68 tonnes of CO2

The graphic below gives an idea of other ways we can cut our carbon footprint:

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America reporter, in Rome

As we've been explaining, as COP26 kicks off in Glasgow, world leaders at the G20 summit in Rome are holding their own meeting on environmental issues.

A senior US official said the US hoped this G20 session would result in a commitment to “end the overseas financing of coal” and lead more nations to join a global pledge to reduce methane emissions.

“We would like to see some positive language around decarbonising the power sector,” the official added.

Negotiations on what the post-summit communique will include about climate are still ongoing on the last day of the meetings - an indication of the challenge of reaching an agreement on the issue among the world’s largest economic powers.

Officials for host nation Italy have been pushing hard for more concrete action, despite the recalcitrance of some delegations.

"The eyes of billions of people, of entire peoples, are upon us and the results we will be able to achieve," Italian President Sergio Mattarella said at a gala dinner on Saturday night.

Image source, EPA

Image source, Getty Images

Up to 25,000 people are expected to turn up to this summit in Glasgow.

It's fair to say that organising an event of this scale would have been a huge logistical challenge in normal times.

Of course, we’re still far from normal times, so here are some of the measures being taken to keep it Covid safe:

• Vaccine doses have been promised to anyone registered with the UN
• Attendees will be required to present daily, negative lateral flow tests
• There will be a specific zone for global leaders and a "blue zone" for ministers, officials, observers and media, with both groups urged not to mingle
• Participants are being requested to observe one-metre (3ft) social distancing
• Masks will be needed when moving around, and numbers will be limited in meeting rooms

Image source, Getty Images

COP26 has officially been opened. Delegates and activists have been greeted by Glaswegian rain and world leaders will soon start arriving in droves.

At this summit nearly 200 countries are being asked for their updated plans to cut emissions by 2030.

They have all already vowed to keep global warming "well below" 2C above pre-industrial levels - and to try aim for 1.5C by 2100. But this is about putting those promises into action.

So far today:

• Alok Sharma said the conference was the "last, best hope to keep 1.5 in reach"
• Prince Charles urged political leaders at the G20 summit in Rome to work with the private sector if progress is to be made
• Greta Thunberg told the BBC that sometimes "you have to anger people" to create change

Meanwhile, we are waiting to see if China and India will agree to strong wording on tackling climate change in the final statement that emerges from the G20 summit later today.

UK PM Boris Johnson, US President Joe Biden and others are there. It's not looking likely from reports emerging so far.

As COP26 gets under way in Glasgow, a so-far small group of activists are staging demonstrations in Edinburgh.

About 130 protesters are marching through The Meadows in Scotland's capital city.

Among the group, Allan MacIntyre said: “I’m here because I want politicians to do more to stem climate change and I hope COP encourages systemic change.”

Much-vaunted 1.5C target is easier said than donepublished at 11:59 Greenwich Mean Time 31 October 2021

11:59 GMT 31 October 2021

Matt McGrath
BBC Environment Correspondent in Glasgow

Despite the constant repetition by COP26 President Alok Sharma, the phrase “keeping 1.5C alive” is far easier said than done.

Just last week, we had an analysis from the UN Environment Programme that looked at all the carbon-cutting promises that have been made to date. They examined both formal proposals and informal statements.

Added together, these show the world warming by 2.7C by the end of this century. And even if everyone keeps their long-term net zero promises, we are still on track for 2.2C.

Consider the impacts we have seen this year with temperatures just 1C above pre-industrial levels - from fires in Canada and floods in Germany and China, to heatwaves almost everywhere.

So Sharma has a huge task on his hands – he’ll be hoping that a range of side-deals, on deforestation, on methane, on coal and cars - will help move the needle. In addition, he’ll need some significant buy-in from the likes of India, China and many others to revisit and improve their plans more quickly than is required under the Paris Agreement.

Getting agreement on that may be a bridge too far for this conference.

In his opening speech, Sharma tells COP26 "we must act now to keep 1.5 alive".

"Six years ago, in Paris, we agreed our shared goals" he says, referring to the 2015 agreement in the French capital to keep global warming to below 2C and endeavour to reach 1.5C.

"COP26 is our last best hope to keep 1.5 in reach," Sharma tells delegates.

"I believe we can move negotiations forward and launch a decade of ever increasing ambition and action... but we need to hit the gournd running.

*If we act now and we act together we can protect our precious promise and ensure where Paris promised, Glasgow delivers."

COP26 President Alok Sharma is speaking at the COP26 opening ceremony in Glasgow.

He says during the pandemic "climate change did not take time off".

A recent UN report which said the past five years had been the hottest on record since 1850 was a "wake up call for all of us and it made clear that the lights are flashing red on the climate's dashboard", he says.

It told us that human activity was unequivocally the cause of global warming and the window to keep this warming limited to 1.5 was closing, he adds.

Earlier, climate activist Greta Thunberg told the BBC "we are still moving very much in the wrong direction".

But she added: "If we switched our focus from trying to create loopholes and excuses to not take action, which is very much the case now, to actually trying to combat climate change... then, I think, we could achieve massive changes.

"We can always prevent things from getting worse. It's never too late to do as much as we can."

More from Glasgow now.

The outgoing President of the COP, Carolina Schmidt (from Chile) has just opened COP26 by saying she is "delighted we can meet in person" after a year's delay due to the pandemic.

She praised the work of the outgoing presidency, saying Chile - and Latin America as a whole - had stepped up when others were stepping back.

She said the Chilean presidency had "maintained the momentum even in the hardest times brought about by the pandemic".

"It was a major honour."

She will soon hand over to Alok Sharma, the president of COP26, which is being hosted by the UK in partnership with Italy.

Image source, COP26

We've just had a newsflash from the Reuters news agency saying that world leaders at the G20 summit in Rome have reached a deal on the wording of their final communique. Reuters does not say what is in the text.

The AFP news agency is meanwhile suggesting that leaders have agreed on a 1.5C climate change target.

The significance of that would depend on how strongly the statement is worded. Remember all the world's countries already agreed in Paris that they would aim to limit warming to 1.5C by 2100.

The COP26 conference in Glasgow is about trying to get real commitments to realistically get there.

The G20 document will be released later today.

After years of planning, and a one-year delay due to the pandemic, COP26 in Glasgow is now officially open.

Today is mostly a ceremonial occasion before world leaders start the hard task of negotiations tomorrow.

But we are expecting to hear from COP President Alok Sharma very shortly. Stay with us.

Debbie Jackson
BBC Scotland

COP26 delegates have been greeted with an authentic Glasgow welcome on day one of the summit.

The rain is pouring down on a gloomy Sunday morning. Traffic in Glasgow city centre is made up mainly of the city’s fleet of electric buses brought in to service the conference and police vans from every corner of the UK.

Climate campaigners make their way along the River Clyde with damp flags as the city’s COP26 volunteers try to remain cheery in their sodden bobble hats.

Blue-lanyarded delegates are being dropped off at the "Squinty Bridge" to walk across the river to the SEC Campus venue.

I bump into delegates from Gabon in central Africa.

They arrived in the city less than 24 hours ago but are ready to make their case passionately.

Ghislain Moussavou is the director-general of his government’s forestry commission. He is here with a private contractor, Hadi Ghossein.

The two have just had breakfast in a local cafe and are ready to go into the venue and fight their corner.

Moussavou says: “We are here to speak up for Africa. We are doing a lot to combat the effects of climate change and we bear a lot of its impact.”