With today being 'Energy' day, there's a lot of talk about fossil fuels and how we can move away from them.

So what are we talking about? Fossil fuel is an umbrella term for crude oil, coal, and gas. They're called that because they're formed over millions of years from the remains of dead organisms.

Simply put, these resources have energy stored within them which when burned releases energy. But this process also produces large amounts of carbon dioxide and our reliance on them since we developed industry has fuelled climate change.

A lot of discussions today will be about greener energy sources - like hydropower and solar energy - and how we can transition to them in order to slow down carbon emissions.

Image source, COP26

COP26 president Alok Sharma says that the "end of coal is in sight".

He says that the progress made in the last two years "would have seemed a lofty ambition" in 2019, pointing to the G7 countries along with China and South Korea committing to end international coal financing in 2021.

Sharma says that we are getting to a point when "we can consign coal power to history" but he says that we must continue to work together "to finish the job on coal".

"A brighter future comes ever closer, a future of cleaner air, cheaper power and good green jobs," he says, adding that the prize is to keep the Paris temperature goal within reach.

That goal is keeping global warming to an increase of 1.5C of pre-industrial levels.

Image source, No 10 Downing Street

As well as talking about coal, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng is asked about whether Boris Johnson should have taken a private flight to London from Glasgow on Tuesday following his time at COP26.

Kwarteng said that there had been 120 world leaders in Glasgow and "many of them flew back".

Asked if it was a case of the government saying to the public "don't do what we do, just listen to what we say", he said he did not think it was fair.

He pointed to "significant strides" made in reducing the use of coal and creating jobs in the switch to green energy.

Boris Johnson's flight out of Glasgow was confirmed by the Prime Minister's official spokesman on Monday.

Pressed on why he could not go by train for a journey within the UK, a spokesman said it was important he was able to travel round the country while facing "significant time constraints".

What's the climate impact of private jets? Find out here.

The main theme of COP26 today is energy and how the world can make the transition to cleaner, greener methods from our heavy reliance on CO2-emitting fossil fuels.

Ben van Beurden, CEO of oil giant Shell, has been speaking exclusively to the BBC about his company's pathway towards reaching net zero emissions by 2050.

He told our Business editor, Simon Jack, that technology shifts to methods like biofuels could only be financed from oil and gas revenue.

You can watch a clip of his interview below and read more here

Frances Mao
BBC News, Sydney

Image source, ABC News

Australia has been called a climate outlier and is painted by activists as one of the climate “villains” most under pressure at COP26.

It has one of the weakest 2030 pledges among rich nations - a 26% cut on its 2005 emissions. It is also the world’s third-largest fossil fuel exporter, notably of coal and gas.

The government continues to enthusiastically chase profits from these industries, defying calls from scientists and others.

It is particularly galling, critics say, because Australia is so naturally blessed with sun, surf and wind. It could easily become a renewable energy superpower.

But they say politics backed by mining interests is holding the country back.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison told world leaders in Glasgow that climate change would be tackled not by politicians - but by technology.

“It will be our scientists, technologists, engineers, entrepreneurs, industrialists and financiers that will chart this path to net zero – and it is up to us as leaders to back them in," he said.

Read more on Australia’s loyalty to coal.

Helen Briggs
BBC science correspondent in Glasgow

What's happening today?

After Wednesday’s focus on money, attention shifts to energy. You’ll hear a lot about coal - another piece in the jigsaw of the 'coal, cars, cash and trees' agenda the government is trying to strike deals on at Glasgow. Away from talk of fossil fuels and clean energy, the complex dance played by negotiators continues, with reports that early drafts of the text from the summit are starting to take shape.

What to watch out for?

Momentum is building on the push to help countries that rely on dirty coal make the switch to renewables. We'll get more details on who has signed up to a drive to phase out coal, spearheaded by COP26 president Alok Sharma. There’ll also be an announcement by 20 countries vowing to end finance for overseas fossil fuel projects.

And we’re expecting an update on how the world is meeting the challenge of adapting to climate change. Given that this COP is taking place in extraordinary circumstances, expect to hear more about issues that have cast a shadow over the conference, including concerns about accessibility and long queues to enter the site.

How does it all affect me?

This is the year in which the end of coal may finally be in sight, a move seen as critical to meeting the 1.5C goal to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Decisions about energy affect us all - from the way we heat our homes to how we power our cars.

As we mentioned a short while ago Kwasi Kwarteng was quizzed by BBC Radio 4's Today programme about the UK's approach to coal as proposals for a coal mine in Cumbria continue to rumble through the planning system.

The business secretary said he was "very proud" that the UK had reduced its coal use in energy generation from about 25% five years ago to "barely 1%" today.

Boris Johnson has set a target for all of the UK's electricity to come from clean sources by 2035.

Successive governments have been relatively successful in cutting emissions from energy - they fell by 40% between 1990 and 2019, with a big chunk of this coming from closing coal-fired power stations and spending money on solar, wind and nuclear energy.

The UK is a world leader in offshore wind. It currently has capacity of about 10GW, which the government has promised to quadruple by 2030.

An increase to 40GW would generate enough energy to power every home in the UK.

Image source, PA Media

Following the announcement of more than 40 countries pledging to phase out coal UK Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng is speaking to the media.

He tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the pledge is "hugely significant" although he admits that "not all the countries we would have liked have signed up to it".

But he says the US and China have made commitments to reduce natural gas emissions and in the case of China have said that they will not invest in overseas coal production.

"The sense of direction, the mood, is all one way and I think that's encouraging," he says.

Asked about proposals for a new coal mine in Cumbria the business secretary says that the government cannot get involved in the planning process.

Image source, Reuters

As the focus of COP26 moves towards energy today, a new report has found that North Sea firms expect to see their share of business outside of oil and gas more than double by 2030.

Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce (AGCC) said its survey findings suggested companies predicted 47% of business would come from outside the sector, compared with 21% now.

More than half aim to increase their headcount in the next three years.

But the Oil and Gas Transition Survey warned that a lack of skilled talent could be an obstacle to transition.

Read more on this story here.

Image source, Getty Images

In a sign of how much is at stake as the focus at COP26 turns to fossil fuels, scientists say global carbon dioxide emissions are set to rebound to near the levels they were at before Covid.

The amount of planet-heating gas released in 2020 fell by 5.4% as the pandemic forced countries to lock down.

But a scientific report by the Global Carbon Project predicts CO2 emissions will rise by 4.9% this year.

It suggests that the window is closing on our ability to limit temperature rise to the critical threshold of 1.5C.

Important deals have been struck at COP26 this week on limiting emissions of methane and on curbing deforestation.

Yet emissions from coal and gas are predicted to grow more in 2021 than they fell the previous year - although carbon released from oil use is expected to remain below 2019 levels.

Here’s more from our science editor Paul Rincon.

Image source, Reuters

More than 40 countries are committing to shift away from coal, in pledges made at the COP26 climate summit, the UK government says.

Major coal-using countries including Poland, Vietnam and Chile are among those to make the commitment.

But some of the world's biggest coal-dependent countries, including Australia, India, China and the US, did not sign up to the pledge.

Signatories to the agreement have committed to ending all investment in new coal power generation domestically and internationally.

They have also agreed to phase out coal power in the 2030s for major economies, and the 2040s for poorer nations, the UK said.

Coal is the single biggest contributor to climate change.

"The end of coal is in sight," UK business and energy secretary Kwasi Kwarteng says.

But UK shadow business secretary Ed Miliband says there are "glaring gaps" from China and other large emitters, who have not committed to stop increasing coal use domestically. He also noted that there was nothing on the phasing out of oil and gas.

Image source, PA Media

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the fifth day of COP26.

Today’s focus is on energy, with the aim of encouraging countries to move away from burning fossil fuels to get their power.

Things have already kicked off with the UK announcing that 40 countries have agreed to shift away from burning coal.

More on that in a moment…