5.39am EDT
05:39
Libby Brooks
Ongoing difficulties in finding affordable or indeed any accommodation around the city has seen activists camping a squatting overnight. Extinction Rebellion’s campsite in Pollock Park is hosting 32 tents, and expecting more over the weekend. The disused homeless shelter that was “re-opened” by a group of Glasgow activists on Wednesday evening is still welcoming visitors, and receiving local donations of food, blankets and other necessities.
The Scottish weather has challenged some visitors. One delegate from the Philippines said she had started taking vitamin D supplements because she misses the sun so much.
One of the chronic liabilities of going on a protest is managing to feed yourself. The Welsh Kitchen is a canteen on wheels that has come to the rescue of Extinction Rebellion activists over the past week, dishing out stew, rice and dahl from huge insulated pots.
5.27am EDT
05:27
Chris Michael
Saturday night in Glasgow won’t be a time for Alok Sharma, the president of Cop26, to let down his hair (assuming it was long enough to let down, which it is not).
Instead, he will gather all the envoys to discuss a plan for Week 2 with an eye to landing a deal on time, wrapping up the conference on Friday … and THEN letting down his hair. (Yes, Cop continues all next week, too.)
Ed King
(@edking_I)
No party time for #COP26 envoys… they’ll be spending their Saturday evening working out how to land a deal next week. Note from Alok Sharma says he’s aiming to wrap up on time next Friday. https://t.co/OsCvRAMrPS pic.twitter.com/KFoCT62ZPo
November 4, 2021
5.17am EDT
05:17
The climate pledges agreed so far at Cop26 could keep global temperatures to within 1.8C of pre-industrialised levels, according to the International Energy Agency – but only if the commitments are implemented in full.
Fatih Birol, the executive director of the highly influential energy watchdog, told the conference that despite the pessimism ahead of the Cop26 talks, a “big step forward” was possible if all the pledges set out to date were “fully achieved”.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/04/cop26-pledges-could-limit-warming-to-18c-says-energy-agency-boss
However, the promise of climate progress at the Cop26 talks risks being dashed amid rising criticism over a set of key of climate pledges, spearheaded by the UK government, to reduce global emissions by phasing out coal power generation.
4.52am EDT
04:52
Chris Michael
It is, among other things, oceans day here in Glasgow.
As the “blue finance” roundtable kicks off this morning, looking at how to invest in ocean resilience to tackle climate risk, the Guardian’s Seascape project – for which I am the editor, hello! – has published Part 2 of a deep dive (sorry) into so-called “blue carbon”.
Blue carbon is the hidden CO2 sink that 10 years ago we barely knew about, but experts now say could help provide up to 15% of the emissions cuts we need. However, these incredible marine ecosystems (mangroves, seagrass and salt marshes) are vanishing – and replacing them isn’t as easy as it sounds. Think tree-planting underwater.
Read our fascinating piece by Karen McVeigh:
Updated
at 5.23am EDT
4.44am EDT
04:44
Chris Michael
Good morning! Thanks for following our coverage so far.
I’ll be your liveblogger for what is (drum roll) youth and public empowerment day at Cop26 in Glasgow, as well as the first of two days dedicated to nature and land use – including my beat, the oceans.
First, however, a report from my colleague Phoebe Weston about how the carbon dioxide emissions of the richest 1% of humanity are on track to be 30 times greater than what is compatible with keeping global heating below 1.5C.
Scientists are urging governments to “constrain luxury carbon consumption” of private jets, megayachts and space travel.
The Paris climate goals need every person on Earth to reduce their CO2 emissions to an average of 2.3 tonnes by 2030, about half the average of today, but the richest 1% – which is a population smaller than Germany – are on track to be releasing 70 tonnes of CO2 per person a year if current consumption continues.
“A tiny elite appear to have a free pass to pollute,” said Nafkote Dabi, climate policy lead at Oxfam.
Updated
at 5.26am EDT
