Alok Sharma, president of COP26, has now opened the plenary session of politicians from around the world, trying to rally them towards a final agreement before nightfall.
He told delegates that the time has come to “reach a conclusion” and said he hoped that the draft text took into account the views of nearly 200 countries.
“You all know the nature of these negotiations,” he said. “As presidency we have effectively had to take into account and balanced the views of nearly 200 parties.”
For the agreement to go through it needs the signatures of all the countries involved in the COP process, a point noted by Sharma.
“I hope however you share my view that taken together these latest iterations represent the comprehensive, ambitious and balanced set of outcomes that you collectively called for,” he said.
“They will . . . elevate the importance of averting, minimising loss and damage including through strengthened institutional arrangements.”
He attempted to adjourn for further talks but not before several parties put their hands up to speak, led by Guinea, followed closely by China and Tanzania, and India, before the dam broke over its contorversial statement, and dozens of other nations decided to take the chance to speak.
Sharma said representatives could make statements this afternoon but he urged them to avoid “general statements” and only give speeches in relation to the final text.
He said everyone in the room knew that collectively their climate action had so far “fallen short on promises made in Paris” at that summit six years ago.
“These texts recognise this and set out a clear response. Many will call for that response to go even further but these decisions I believe set out . . . clear milestones to reach the goals of the Paris agreement,” he said.
“They are guided by equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities of different national circumstances.”
The issues being debated in Glasgow had “evaded us for far too long”, said Sharma.