SCOTLAND needs to play its part as a “world leader” in tackling climate change by “corralling” other states into action, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

The First Minister discussed efforts to tackle global warming during a WWF panel event at COP26.

She was joined by WWF climate and global energy leader Manuel Pulgar Vidal, as well as Transport and Net Zero Secretary Michael Matheson.

The SNP leader said Scotland has a “massive” role to play in global efforts to quell temperature increases.

And while describing her country as being at the forefront of environmental efforts, she warned the bar remained “too low” when it comes to climate action of the global stage.

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“I'm not going to betray any secrets here, when I say I would prefer Scotland to be round the negotiating table here in our own right, pushing forward,” Sturgeon said. “But short of that, we've got to make sure we're doing everything we can. First and foremost, that means doing the things we need to do, and winning credibility.

“Scotland, I think, by any measure, can claim to be a world leader in climate action, but the bar of world leadership is far too low. So it doesn't take enough to be a world leader. We've got to up our own ambition and delivery against that ambition.

“But we've also got a big part to play in corralling the sub national governments, cities, regions, devolved governments like ours. Because if we look at what is required in terms of emissions reductions to meet 1.5 degrees, about half of the total reduction required to achieve that requires action on the part of governments like the Scottish Government. So if we don't play our part, the world won’t get where it needs to be.”

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The First Minister said every leader and government  should be feeling “bloody uncomfortable” because none, including Scotland, have met their climate targets.

“It should feel bloody uncomfortable, because nobody yet is doing enough and that's the reality,” she said, adding “none” of the high-level promises on change had been kept.

Sturgeon highlighted the Scotland is a European co-chair of the Under2 Coalition, which describes itself as “a global community of state and regional governments committed to ambitious climate action in line with the Paris Agreement”.

The coalition represents almost two billion people across the world, Sturgeon noted.

“So it's a practical reality that if we don't play our part, we're not going to meet that global ambition. But that doesn't let the countries that will be around that negotiating table over the next two days off the hook, they have to absolutely step up and do everything that is required of them as well.”

Over the next two weeks of COP26, 120 dignitaries and heads of state will come to Glasgow for an event which has been billed as one of the most crucial in modern history.

The event officially begins today with the opening ceremony, which includes speeches from Boris Johnson and Prince Charles.