Sameer Hashmi
Middle East Business Correspondent, BBC News

Image source, Reuters

Last month, Saudi Arabia caught the world’s attention when it pledged that it would target net zero carbon emissions by 2060.

Its plan to tackle climate change includes an investment of almost $190bn (£141bn), planting 450m trees, reducing 200m tonnes of carbon emissions by 2030, and attempting to turn Riyadh into a more sustainable capital city.

In making the announcement, analysts say the world’s largest oil exporter wanted to ensure its continued seat at the high table at global climate change talks.

But the Saudis have also vehemently pushed back against calls to phase out fossil fuels, and have no immediate plans of reducing oil production.

On the contrary, they are looking to pump out more oil, as demand is expected to remain firm, especially from energy-hungry China and India.

Saudi Arabia earns more than half of its revenues from oil exports. And even though the kingdom has been aggressively pursuing a strategy to diversify the economy by investing in new industries, it would take time for these sectors to start contributing substantially to GDP.

As we are reporting, Saudi Arabia says claims that it is obstructing COP26 deals are "a cheat and a lie".

But Greenpeace say negotiators have witnessed the country's team "blocking" climate change actions.

Juan Pablo Osornio, head of Greenpeace’s delegation at COP26, says: "Negotiators have witnessed Saudi’s team undermining human rights, blocking financial support for adaptation, and arguing against countries reaching any final decision text at all at Glasgow."

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud is calling for recognition of the "diversity of climate solutions" to reduce emissions "without any bias towards or against any particular source of energy".

Saudi Arabia is one of the largest oil producers and exporters in the world.

Osornio says: “If countries don’t like being named as blockers of climate action, they should stop blocking, it’s quite simple."

Matt McGrath
Environment correspondent

The UK presidency team have set out an ambitious stall in their first attempt to capture progress here at COP26.

As well as the specific items mentioned in the document, it also gives us a sense of how the negotiations are going more generally.

It's clear that there's a sense of urgency, and a willingness to go high on the key question of cutting carbon more rapidly.

If this idea survives the next couple of days, then Glasgow may well be seen as a success.

But there's a long way to go until the final gavel comes down.

Alok Sharma, the UK's COP26 President, has reiterated that he wants to end the meeting on Friday and said the draft text "represents a signal to the world, but we cannot take our focus off the full set of tasks for us to deliver here".

Read Matt's full analysis here.

Image source, Tom Beckett

The US did not sign a COP26 pledge we reported earlier on phasing out new fossil-fuelled cars and vans by 2040. But a number of its cities did, as did major car makers Ford and General Motors.

BBC Business reporter Daniel Thomas looks at whether the country can change.

Transport accounted for almost of a third of US emissions in 2019, and the White House has pledged to bring this down by making a commitment to make zero-emission vehicles account for half of all automobiles sold in the country by 2030.

But according to a recent Pew Center survey, just under half of US adults say they would support phasing out production of petrol-powered cars – and a similar proportion would oppose it.

Tom Beckett, a former lorry driver, says he's driven at least two million miles in his lifetime, and he is all for burning less gasoline to protect the environment. But like many Americans, he is "just not ready" to buy a low-emission electric car because of so-called range anxiety - the fear he won't be able to go far enough on a single charge.

The 62-year-old lives in rural Arkansas where he regularly has to drive long distances to get around, and electric vehicle charging points are few and far between.

“Unless the battery capacity and the range doubles, I don't think electric cars will ever become a big deal in states like this," he tells the BBC.

Read more of Daniel Thomas's piece here.

Image source, PA Media

Boris Johnson has arrived in Glasgow by train for meetings at COP26 - a week after being criticised for flying home from the climate summit.

Downing Street was previously forced to defend the prime minister's decision to return from COP26 by private charter jet after his first visit concluded last week.

The PM's official spokesman says it was important he was able to travel round the country while facing "significant time constraints".

We're expecting to hear from Johnson later so stay with us for updates.

We've been hearing a lot of technical terms and jargon as the draft deal is put forward.

So, rather than get bogged down, it's worth remembering exactly why the world is here at COP26.

The goal of the conference is to keep 1.5C alive - that's the global warming target that world leaders agreed to work towards back in 2015.

To do that, as is stated in the draft agreement today, global emissions need to be cut by 45% by 2030 and to zero overall by mid-century.

But, as the text also points out, we are way off track.

Research published at the summit on Tuesday indicated the short-term plans put in place by countries would see a rise of 2.4C.

On current estimates, total global greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 will be up by 13.7% on 2010.

The document also calls on countries to accelerate the phasing out of coal and subsidies for fossil fuels - but has no firm dates or targets on this issue.

Reaction to the draft agreement published this morning hasn't been universally positive.

Tracy Carty, head of the charity Oxfam's delegation to COP26, has called the decision text "too weak" in a press release.

She said the draft "fails to respond to the climate emergency being faced by millions of people now, who are living with unprecedented extreme weather and being pushed further into poverty".

It also fails to include a "clear and unambiguous commitment to increase the ambition of 2030 emission reduction targets next year".

“There are just two days left to negotiate a better deal," she said.

It should focus on higher funding for adaptation to climate change, and more money for "loss and damage" - as BBC science editor Paul Rincon described in a post below, the principle of responsibility by rich countries for the harm caused to developing nations as a result of the climate crisis.

The pressure is on at COP26 with negotiations deep under way to get nations to agree on solid plans to try and keep alive goals from the 2015 Paris agreement.

The spotlight of scrutiny remains on the commitments being made by the world's biggest polluters - days after analysts warned of a credibility gap between rhetoric and what agreed pledges will amount to.

Just four countries plus the European Union are responsible for most of the world's emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), which is the most common greenhouse gas responsible for global warming.

The draft agreement says "rapid, deep and sustained reductions" are needed to limit global warming to 1.5C by 2100. Yesterday. the Climate Action Tracker (CAT) estimates we are still on track for a 2.4C rise as things stand.

You can read analysis here on what each big emitter has pledged.

Image source, Reuters

The Alliance of Small Island States - which represents 39 nations - has responded to the draft agreement and called for stronger language and action.

AOSIS Chair, ambassador Aubrey Webson, said in a statement the text "provides a basis for moving forward but it needs to be strengthened in key areas".

Webson said provisions for finance - and on loss and damage - required scaling up to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable.

"'Urging' 'calling' 'encouraging' and 'inviting' is not the decisive language that this moment calls for," he said.

"We have limited time left in the COP to get this right and send a clear message to our children, and the most vulnerable communities, that we hear you and we are taking this crisis seriously."

Image source, Reuters

Wednesday has been a very busy day of climate news so far - with negotiations ramping up in Glasgow as the summit nears a close.

• Overnight, the first draft of a COP26 agreement was published
• The draft text calls for stronger action to limit global warming - including phasing out coal and fossil fuel use - and urges governments to come back next year to revisit and strengthen plans
• But the proposal has been met with a mixed response - with critics complaining it doesn't include enough concrete details or deadlines to adequately address the urgency of the climate crisis and the needs of those on the front line.
• The draft comes amid warnings by analysts that there remains a big gap between long-term rhetoric and tangible short-term actions being taken
• Saudi Arabia has been accused of obstructing progress in the talks, according to reports - but the kingdom said that was a "false allegation, and a cheat and a lie"
• Separately, the conference focus today is on transport. Some top car manufacturers have agreed to phase out the production of petrol and diesel cars by 2040.

What's coming up?

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is also expected to deliver remarks this afternoon after returning to the conference.

We expect things to keep moving as the day goes on - so stick with us for the latest.

'One hell of a fight' ahead on draftpublished at 12:50 Greenwich Mean Time 10 November 2021

12:50 GMT 10 November 2021

Helen Briggs
Environment correspondent in Glasgow

Some 200 countries are meeting at COP to try to keep the lid on rising temperatures. Today, a document that forms the basis of what they could sign up to in Glasgow has been released by the hosts of the conference, the UK presidency.

It sums up everything that has been discussed so far, but is very much a draft.

There are bits missing and a number of contentious issues, which could get strengthened or watered down over the next few days.

The reference to phasing out fossil fuels will undoubtedly be opposed by some nations. And countries vulnerable to the most destructive effects of climate change will want assurances that more money is coming their way to help protect their people against rising sea levels, drought and storms.

At COP26 nothing is agreed until everything is agreed and getting a consensus among so many countries is never easy.

Cop veterans expect “one hell of a fight” ahead - with all to play for in the next few days.

Image source, Reuters

We're well into the second week of the COP26 climate summit in Scotland's largest city. There have been major speeches, technical agreements, and long, detailed briefings.

It's been pretty overwhelming.

We've written a handy explainer tracking of what's been happening at the conference - why world leaders have gathered, what they hope to do, and how they plan to do it.

Find out about the pledges on trees, coal and methane - as well as all the details of the draft agreement announced earlier today.

Read it here.

Image source, Reuters

Experts have given a cautious welcome to the draft text issued at the summit but suggest politics is getting in the way of credible action.

Bob Ward of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change says the draft includes all the key elements of a successful outcome, but there needs to be "more ambition and more precision".

The current set of pledges on emissions will not hold warming to 1.5C - and money for poorer nations is lacking, he adds.

Prof Neil Harris of Cranfield University says governments are continuing to be "incapable of addressing this issue".

He says they seem happy to leave further decisions for the future and were "managing less than their share of the load".

Image source, Getty Images

Boris Johnson has this morning spoken with the crown prince of Saudi Arabia about the country's climate pledges.

It comes as pressure grows on the world's biggest polluters to do more to tackle emissions.

Saudi Arabia is one of the largest oil producers and exporters in the world.

Downing Street confirmed the prime minister pressed Mohammed bin Salman on the need to make "progress in negotiations" taking place in Glasgow.

A spokesman for the prime minister said: "He welcomed Saudi Arabia's commitment to reach net zero by 2060 and their efforts to transition away from fossil fuels."

But he added that Johnson also said that "all countries needed to come to the table with increased ambition if we are to keep the target of limiting global warming to 1.5C alive".

Image source, Getty Images

As we've been reporting, the draft COP26 agreement released by the UK presidency calls on countries to bring an end to coal and subsidies for fossil fuels.

Saudi Arabia - one of the world's top exporters - appears to be pushing back against that.

The kingdom's top energy official has said efforts to tackle climate change should not have "any bias towards or against any particular source of energy".

"It is imperative that we recognise the diversity of climate solutions," Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud said in Glasgow.

Reuters news agency is meanwhile reporting that several officials involved in negotiations have blamed Saudi Arabia for obstructing progress, including by using "procedural delay tactics".

The kingdom has offered a strong response to that.

"What you’ve been hearing is a false allegation, and a cheat and a lie,” Prince Abdulaziz said.

Image source, Reuters

Andy Burnham has called on the UK government to help drive down public transport costs across the country.

The mayor of Greater Manchester says cheaper bus fares - like seen on the capital's TFL services - would encourage the public to leave their cars at home and cut emissions.

Burnham was appearing at COP26 to unveil plans for Manchester's transport network to reach net-zero by 2030.

Among initiatives announced was a new system of hire bikes available for the public.

Scientists, experts and governments around the world agree - fossil-fuelled cars need to go if we're to limit the effects of climate change.

To that end, the UK government has promised to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by the year 2030, which it says will "put the UK on course to be the fastest G7 country to decarbonise cars and vans."

All this is easier said than done. But there are already moves in the UK towards greater usage of electric cars - with rising sales and charger points around the country.

Labour says Boris Johnson must "take charge" of the summit as he returns to Glasgow.

It comes as the first draft of an agreement setting out how countries will cut emissions to avoid temperature rises of above 1.5C was published.

Shadow business secretary Ed Miliband said: "We are miles off where we need to be in the halving of emissions required by 2030. It's time the government faced this truth, stopped the greenwash, and put maximum pressure on all parties to step up and agree a path out of Glasgow to keep 1.5 alive."

He said the prime minister needed to recognise that "he is not a commentator but needs to take charge of a summit that is not on track to deliver".

Miliband also suggested it was "hard to avoid the suspicion" that the PM's visit was a "useful" distraction from the row around Tory MPs doing other jobs on top of their parliamentary posts.

Coal and fossil fuels - just one line but a big momentpublished at 11:30 Greenwich Mean Time 10 November 2021

11:30 GMT 10 November 2021

Helen Briggs
Environment correspondent in Glasgow

The draft text includes one mention of fossil fuels, and one mention of coal.

Line 37 says that Cop26 "calls upon Parties to accelerate the phasing-out of coal and subsidies for fossil fuels”.

You might be thinking that given the historical contribution of these sectors to emissions, that's a bit thin.

But the fact that this line is actually in there at all is being seen as quite a landmark moment.

Climate policy expert Mohamed Adow, from Power Shift Africa, says it's the first time that a COP agreement text explicitly calls for phasing out coal and fossil fuel subsidies.

“This is progress as these aren't even mentioned in the Paris Agreement [of 2015]," he says.

But he adds: "On the key demands of vulnerable countries there is very little.”

Expect pushback from oil and gas-producing countries like Saudi Arabia and Russia on this line. At this point, there's no guarantee it will end up in the final “Glasgow pact”.

Paul Rincon
Science editor, BBC News website

Image source, Reuters

The new draft agreement at COP26 published this morning features a concept that few people outside climate talks may have heard of.

Loss and damage describes the principle of responsibility by rich countries for the harm caused to developing nations as a result of the climate crisis. After all, it is countries in the global south that will experience some of the worst effects of global warming.

The rapid rise in temperatures can be traced back to the Industrial Revolution, which started in the late 18th Century. This is when fossil fuels started being used on a large scale to power newly-mechanised manufacturing processes. Coal powered the steam engine, which powered the factories of Britain.

This revolution quickly spread to continental Europe and the United States. Fast forward to the present day, and some of the same rich countries that were driving the climate crisis for 100 years are now encouraging poorer ones to give up on fuels that were once the key to a better standard of living.

Central to the concept of loss and damage is the idea that poorer countries should receive compensation for the harms caused to them. However, this is not something richer countries have so far been willing to entertain.

They are concerned that, if liability for global warming was to be linked to compensation, it could open a Pandora's box of legal and financial trouble.