'We have run out of excuses': UNGA president at COP26

After years of planning, and a one-year delay due to the pandemic, COP26 in Glasgow officially opened on Sunday.

The opening ceremony began with a minute's silence for victims of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The COP presidency was then ceremonially handed over from Carolina Schmidt, Chile's Minister of the Environment and the COP25 president, to Alok Sharma, a British Member of Parliament and the President of COP26.

In his opening speech, Sharma struck an optimistic note, saying: "We know what we need to do. Because six years ago in Paris, we agreed our shared goal. We said we will protect people and nature from the effects of climate change."

Sunday's event is mostly a ceremonial occassion before world leaders start the hard task of negotiations from Monday.

The UK is hosting this year's United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP), in partnership with Italy, which is seen as crucial to bring climate change under control, reports the BBC.

Delayed by a year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, COP26 aims to keep alive a target of capping global warming at 1.5C above pre-industrial levels - the limit scientists say would avoid its most destructive consequences.

More than 25,000 people are descending on the Scottish city of Glasgow for the two-week event, with large protests expected. Nearly 200 countries are being asked for more ambitious targets to reduce their carbon emissions.

Here are the latest updates from COP26 -