Cop26 draft criticised for lack of financial help for vulnerable countries

Developing countries at the Cop26 climate summit have called for rich nations to come forward with more financial help for vulnerable countries, saying a new draft outcome for the talks is too weak in this regard.

The draft text, published on Wednesday by the UK as conference president, set out the probable outcome of the Cop26 talks, including a potential requirement for countries to return to the negotiating table next year to beef up their national plans on cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

The text also set out the scientific case for limiting global temperature rises to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, and expressed "alarm" that emissions were far higher than the levels needed to stay within safe temperature thresholds.

But poor countries said the text needed more emphasis on climate finance, to help them cut carbon and cope with the impacts of climate breakdown.

We can have as many COPs as we like, but until the West convinces China to cut emissions more quickly, these summits will continue to fail.