COP26: Boris Johnson urges countries to 'pull out all the stops' to secure 1.5C aim in final days of talks

Boris Johnson has urged countries to "pull out all the stops" to secure action to limit global warming to 1.5C in the final days of COP26.

Negotiators on Wednesday are due to scrutinise a first draft of a "cover decision" - the final outcome of the talks to boost climate action.

They are also trying to come to an agreement on technical parts of the Paris Agreement, including common timeframes for national commitments on emissions reductions and ways for countries to report on their progress.

The prime minister, ahead of returning to Glasgow on Wednesday, said: "Negotiating teams are doing the hard yards in these final days of COP26 to turn promises into action on climate change.

"There's still much to do. Today I'll be meeting with ministers and negotiators to hear about where progress has been made and where the gaps must be bridged.

"This is bigger than any one country and it is time for nations to put aside differences and come together for our planet and our people.

"We need to pull out all the stops if we're going to keep 1.5C within our grasp."

Delegations are expected to be in touch with their leaders and parliaments after the draft cover decision is published on Wednesday morning to discuss what their position will be on it.

This will be particularly key for countries whose leaders did not attend the world leaders summit at the start of COP26, including some of the world's biggest polluters including China, Russia and Brazil.

The final cover decision is often not agreed upon until the early hours of the morning on the final day of COP summits.

Despite Mr Johnson's gloomy outlook ahead of COP26, Nick Mabey from climate think tank E3G said "a high ambition outcome is still on the table" and that momentum is with those countries pushing for ambition.

A "High Ambition Coalition" of vulnerable countries and others including the US and European countries is calling for nations to submit action plans to limit temperatures to 1.5C in the next year and long term plans to meet the target by 2023.

However, there has been pushback from other countries.

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The issue of loss and damage compensation for developing countries already dealing with the devastating effects of climate change is key to the talks.

Robin Mace-Snaith, lead climate analyst for aid agency CAFOD, said: "We have to get new, additional, and needs-based loss and damage finance and a system to deliver it to vulnerable communities in low-income countries.

"At the same time, there needs to be a place in the UN climate process to formalise these discussions, so countries can be held accountable for their promises.

"With the PM due to be back on Wednesday at COP, we hope he gets this over the line and delivers the action needed on loss and damage."

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