Regularly updated page with links to articles, key facts, daily headlines

Background to COP26

DrillOrDrop COP26 briefing

COP26 headlines

13 November 2021
World agrees to phase out some fossil fuel subsidies but coal deal is weakened at the last minute. Disappointment among small island states and environmental organisations. Apology from the COP26 president

12 November 2021
COP26 passes its deadlines with a new text but no final agreement

11 November 2021
Oil and gas phase out group launched (excluding UK and Scotland), countries split over key emissions text, COP26 president says there’s still “a lot more work to be done”

10 November 2021
US and China announce surprise cooperation agreement, Boris Johnson warns against false hopes, and UK says it wants to move beyond oil and gas as soon as possible.

9 November 2021
Climate Action Tracker analysis warns that even with COP26 pledges the world is on course for warming of 2.4C.

8 November 2021
Former President Obama visits with a message for young climate activists. The draft text on the talks is published and quickly criticised by campaigners for not referring to fossil fuels.

7 November 2021
Opening day of the People’s Summit for Climate Justice, plus demonstrations against climate colonialism and the Cambo oil field plans and warnings on the last week of Cop26

6 November 2021
Rallies, nature, food, farming and progress on talks

5 November 2021: Greta Thunberg rally, COP failure, emissions of rich put goals at risk

4 November 2021: Deals on fossil fuels financing and coal-fired power

3 November 2021
UK chancellor challenged over fossil fuels, “rewiring of global finance”, divestment rallies and “we’re all Swampys now”, says COP26 president

2 November 202
Deals on methane and deforestation, President Biden criticises China and Russia for missing the talks and Boris Johnson says the eyes if the world are on the negotiators

1 November 2021
Opening statements at World Leaders Summit, President Xi of China sends a written statement

31 October 2021
COP26 president says the lights are flashing on the climate dashboard; young people angry and worried about the future, delegates excluded from talks, new report finds extreme weather is the new normal and campaigners greed indigenous people with ceremenoy

30 October 2021
Campaigners arrive as church bells mark call for action. Alok Sharma calls on world leaders to act.

29 October 2021
Pope Francis urges world leaders to take radical decisions.

DrillOrDrop articles

Reaction to Glasgow climate talks (13/11/21)

World agrees to phase out some fossil fuel subsidies – but coal deal weakened at last minute (13/11/21)

Live updates from extra time (13/11/21)

Live updates from final hours (12/11/21)

Countries split over key emissions text in climate agreement (11/11/21)

Oil and gas phase out group launched – but UK and Scotland aren’t in (11/11/21)

Fracking owner criticises government over climate policy (11/11/21)

China and US agree on climate cooperation (10/11/21)

Move beyond oil and gas as soon as possible – Boris Johnson (10/11/21)

Countries urged to strengthen climate commitments in draft treaty(10/11/21)

World on track for 2.4C warming despite climate summit pledges (9/11/21)

Fossil fuel phase out not included in draft text of climate talks (8/11/21)

President Obama tells young to channel their anger and get to work on climate change (8/11/21)

Fossil fuel industry has biggest delegation at climate talks – study. (8/11/21)

Campaigners accuse UN talks of failing climate as they hold counter summit for most marginalised (7/11/21)

300+ world protests demand climate justice – 100,000 reported in Glasgow (6/11/21)

COP26 is a failure – Greta Thunberg tells thousands at Glasgow rally (5/11/21)

Deal to end public funding for unabated fossil fuels by 2022 (4/11/21)

End of coal is in sight – Alok Sharma (4/11/21)

Councils urged to drop pension investments in fossil fuels (3/11/21)

Financiers are the new Swampys, says COP president (3/11/21)

Campaigners challenge Rishi Sunak on fossil fuels as he announces a “rewiring” of global finance (3/11/21)

China and Russia mistaken for not attending climate talks, says President Biden (2/11/2021)

“Eyes of the world on negotiators”, says Boris Johnson as world leaders prepare to leave COP26 (2/11/2021)

Oil and gas producers targeted in methane-cutting pledge signed by 105 countries  (2/11/2021)

100+ leaders promise to end deforestation by 2030 (2/11/2021)

Fossil fuel protest disrupts oil exec’s speech (2/11/2021)

What world leaders told COP26 today (1/11/21)

Alok Sharma tells the opening session of COP26 that the lights are flashing on the climate dashboard – but he deflects questions from journalists on the Cambo oilfield – opening session of COP26 climate talks (31/10/21)

Young people have every right to be angry and worried about the future, says COP26 president, Alok Sharma (31/10/21)

New report from the World Meteorological Organisation concludes that extreme weather is the new norm as climate0crisis pushes world into unchartered territory (31/10/21)

Cop26 criticised for excluding delegates from climate front line (31/10/21)

Campaigners stage foot-washing ceremony for visiting delegates to climate talks (31/10/21)

Climate campaigners arrive in Glasgow as church bells mark call for action (30/10/21)

Emissions from 40 planned fossil fuel projects would be nearly three times as much as the UK emits in a year– new study (28/10/21)

Budget “shockingly bad” for the climate – environmentalists (28/10/21)

Government’s net zero strategy a “genuine step forward” but gaps remain – CCC (26/10/21)

Investigation: “Significant” methane emissions recorded at UK onshore oil sites (23/10/21)

Fossil fuel extraction plans “vastly exceed” safe climate limits – UN (20/10/21)

Government plans for low carbon heat “lack ambition”, say critics (19/10/21)

Rapid cuts to methane leaks at oil and gas sites needed to meet climate targets – IEA (13/10/21)

Government wins oil drilling case: emissions would not have “material effect on climate change” (7/10/21)

Clean UK power will protect households from gas price rises – Kwasi Kwarteng (7/10/21)