COP26: Cruise ship arrives on River Clyde to accommodate summit goers

The MS Romantika arrives in Scotland to provide accommodation for the COP26 conference

The first of two cruise ships that will provide accommodation for people attending the COP26 summit has arrived in Scotland.

The Latvian-flagged Romantika has berthed at King George V dock, next to Braehead Shopping Centre in Renfrew.

A second vessel, the MS Silja Europa, will arrive from Estonia in the coming days.

Up to 25,000 government representatives, media and campaigners are expected to be in Glasgow.

Concerns have been raised about the cost and availability of accommodation in the city for the climate summit, which takes place from 31 October until 12 November.

Paavo Nõgene, chief executive of the ship owner Tallink, described the decision to bring a second ship to Scotland as a "last-minute agreement".

Each member of the United Nations has been invited to Glasgow, meaning nearly 120 heads of state are expected to attend along with around 20,000 accredited delegates.

Last Friday, it emerged Pope Francis will not travel to Scotland but US President Joe Biden has said he is "anxious" to be there and the Queen has confirmed she will attend.

Soaring property prices

Meanwhile, BBC Scotland has found evidence that a squeeze on available accommodation has sent prices soaring in Glasgow.

One room in the city advertised as £42 per night on Monday is being advertised as costing £1,400 per night during the summit.

Fiona Hooker, of the Stop Climate Chaos Scotland campaign, said the cost and availability of accommodation was "a huge concern" for activists attending the summit.

She said: "It's incredible that they can charge so much.

"What people are looking for is a place to stay with a local person and the chance to feel part of the event."

Delegates will take shuttle buses between the King George V dock and the summit venue at the Scottish Event Campus

Restaurateur and property owner Charan Gill, who became known as Glasgow's "Curry King" and is one of the country's top entrepreneurs, called the practice "opportunistic".

He told BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime with John Beattie that he would not increase rents because it was damaging to the city's reputation.

"Sometimes you have to pay a premium," he said. "But there has to be some sort of moral compass where we say surely this is wrong.

"You will not live off this money forever - fine, you might make an extra few hundred or thousand pounds here and there. At the end of the day you have to go back to your normal people, your normal market, your normal tenants who keep your bread buttered."

Airbnb told the BBC they would donate all revenue from stays in Glasgow during the summit to Zero Waste Scotland.

A spokesperson said: "We are offering Glaswegians an incentive to start hosting in an effort to provide more accommodation during a unique event and to address a significant accommodation shortage.

"The expected attendance for COP26 is double that of local hotel capacity and hosting helps cities like Glasgow use existing space to scale up and welcome major events."

Low-cost accommodation

Nearly 700 households have signed up to the COP26 Homestay Network.

Operated by the third sector, the initiative is asking people to open their doors and provide affordable or free accommodation to COP26 attendees.

But Jillian Evans, the head of health intelligence at NHS Grampian, told BBC Scotland she had some concerns about this plan.

She said: "People coming from different parts of the world, some where the vaccination programme is not the same as ours, there are risks associated with that.

"Then you put people in touch with one another, in folk's homes, and that increases the risk even more."

A COP26 spokesperson told the BBC: "As hosts of COP26 it is of huge importance to the UK there are a wide range accommodation options available which suit the requirement of delegates attending from around the world.

"We have been working with our hotel provider, MCI, to make sure this is the case."

The COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow in November is seen as crucial if climate change is to be brought under control. Almost 200 countries are being asked for their plans to cut emissions, and it could lead to major changes to our everyday lives.

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