STEPS taken in the first days of the COP26 summit in Glasgow have been “positive”, Nicola Sturgeon has said.
Scotland’s First Minister told journalists it was important to see the detail of announcements being made, including the pledge from more than 100 countries to end deforestation, adding there was a “sense of momentum” from the beginning of the talks.
Sturgeon said yesterday she shared the pessimism of the Prime Minister ahead of the beginning of the leaders’ summit - but today stressed the importance of remaining optimistic.
“I think all of these steps forward are positive and I think it’s really important to retain a sense of optimism and forward momentum,” she said.
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“I think it’s really important … to look at the announcements that are being made at the moment and assess the extent to which they move forward from commitments that had already been made, or are they re-statements of commitments?
“I think yesterday there was a sense of momentum but where that momentum will take us over the next couple of weeks remains to be seen.”
The First Minister claimed there would still be a “gap” between where emissions currently sit and where they need to be to protect the long-term future of the climate, adding: “How big that gap is remains to be seen, but what is really important is the process that comes out of (the summit) to close that gap in the future.”
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Sturgeon said the nationally determined contributions (NDCs) of each country – which lay out how governments plans to cut emissions – should be reviewed annually or biannually.
The First Minister also told journalists she had briefly spoken to US President Joe Biden during a lavish reception at Kelvingrove Museum after the first day of the talks.
“I spoke to (Mr Biden) briefly last night at Kelvingrove,” she said.
“I welcomed him to Scotland, we had a very brief conversation about the importance of the climate discussions that are under way.
“But I spoke to a large number of leaders who are here during the reception last night.”
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