Nicola Sturgeon speaks at UN climate event

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Scotland would set even more ambitious targets

Scotland's First Minister has joined leaders from around the globe at the UN's Climate Conference in the German city of Bonn.

The COP23 negotiators hope to clarify the rulebook of the 2015 Paris climate agreement.

It committed signatories to capping global temperature rises this century to "well below 2 degrees Celsius".

Ms Sturgeon said it was now time to turn the Paris deal into reality.

She said: "We must now urgently agree the specific pledges - and agree the operating manual which will enable us to limit global temperature increases to well below two degrees Celsius and preferably below 1.5 degrees.

"Now, that doesn't simply require impressive targets for the next two decades. It requires urgent action in the next two years as well and it requires all countries, developed counties especially, to contribute fair shares."

Global problem

Scotland's plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions have been hailed as some of the most ambitious on the planet.

The Scottish government has set a target to reduce emissions by 90% by 2050.

Ms Sturgeon told the event, which is being attended by UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres, that she hoped to make an early decision on setting an even more ambitious target of "net zero emissions" .

The event is taking pace in German city of Bonn

'Global problem'

Mary Church, from Friends of the Earth Scotland, said other countries were looking for leadership and Scotland could provide it.

She said: "Climate change is a global problem that doesn't respect borders so the world's nations have to come together to decide and agree on how we are going to tackle this existential crisis for humanity.

"These are bleak times in many ways, with the rise of the right and the very real impacts of climate change being already felt all around the world."

Ms Church added: "Nations and people's movements are looking for leadership.

"If Scotland can step up and provide some of that, all the better."

• What is climate change?

• What is in the Paris Climate agreement?

Scotland is unusual globally for having a consensus in its parliament on tackling climate change.

A draft Climate Plan setting out policies for cutting greenhouse gas emissions is expected to be finalised next year.

It relies on phasing out new petrol and diesel cars, creating low emissions zones in our four biggest cities and an increase in renewable electricity.

Much more of Scottish land will be covered with trees to soak up the carbon dioxide with a proposed annual target of 15,000 hectares of new forest by 2025.

The COP23 conference is discussing the Paris Agreement

Stuart Goodall, from the Confederation of Forest Industries (Confor), said: "This year we are hoping to see perhaps 7,250 hectares.

"Next year we could see as much as 12,000 hectares being built.

"At the end of the day, if we can plant all these forests, we will combat climate change, we'll create a nicer environment for everyone and we will support rural employment."

Individual countries will have to have their plans in place by next year's conference.

This year's summit ends on Friday after two weeks of negotiations.

Composer Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn in the late 18th Century

Politicians are now arriving for the "high-level" talks, with French president Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel also expected on Wednesday.

Usually, Scotland's participation is confined to the "states and regions" arena, with the main UK negotiations carried out at an EU level.

However, this year Ms Sturgeon was invited to speak on a panel, including Mr Guterres, the Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama (President of COP23), UN Climate Change Convention Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa and Bonn mayor Ashok-Alexander Sridharan.

Leads the world

While Scotland's ambitions may be high, its achievements in some areas is overshadowed by other countries.

Norway leads the world in the uptake of electric vehicles, with more on their roads per head of population than any other nation on Earth.

Norwegian environment minister, Vidar Helgesen, told BBC Scotland: "What we have done is exempt them from VAT, which is 25%, exempt them from registration tax, which on average is €10,000 per car.

"It's about the money but it's also about people seeing the attractiveness of electric vehicles as more have come on the market.

"It's quite expensive but it's making Norway a test bed for electrification and we are quite happy about the results so far."

President Trump declared in June that the US would withdraw from the "unfair" Paris pact

The year's COP23 is the first major meeting since President Trump announced plans in June to take the US out of the Paris pact.

All eyes are on the US delegation to see whether they will try to temper the mood.

But for Scotland at least - and no doubt many other countries - the president's stance has resulted in a renewed determination to tackle climate change.

The talk is tough but the test will be of the actions.