NICOLA Sturgeon has met with climate activist Greta Thunberg at COP26.

The First Minister had said she was looking forward to "catcing up" with the teenage activist during an interview Sky News this morning as world leaders began to arrive at the SEC in Glasgow.

The climate talks will go on for two weeks in the city, although world leaders are only expected to stay at the event for the first two days.

Sturgeon said she shares Boris Johnson’s “pessimism” over the UN summit, which aims to “secure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach”.

 

The Herald:

However, the First Minister said that pessimism needs to be pushed aside.

“The UK, having the presidency of this COP, has a particular responsibility to corral the leaders, to bring them together, to encourage them to do more than they are currently committed to do,” she told Sky.

“There’s a big gap on emissions, a big gap on climate finance – so much, much work to be done, and I will do everything I can to push it in the right direction.”

Pictures from the event show Ms Sturgeon with Greta Thunberg and fellow activist Vanessa Nakate.

Tweeting after the gathering, Ms Sturgeon wrote: "The voices of young people like ⁦ @GretaThunberg ⁩ and ⁦ @vanessa_vash ⁩ must be heard loudly and clearly at #COP26 - the next few days should not be comfortable for leaders, the responsibility to act must be felt."

Sturgeon went on to say that, if the talks fail to take decisive action on emissions and funding for developing countries – as the UK seeks to secure commitments to 100 billion US dollars a year to tackle climate change – then leaders will be held accountable by the younger generation.

Sturgeon went on: “I hope every leader coming here feels, a massive weight of responsibility.

“If we come out of this in two weeks’ time without the commitments necessary then I don’t know how my generation of leaders looks the next generation in the eye.”

“I’ll be catching up later this morning hopefully with Greta Thunberg,” she added.

“Voices like hers, uncomfortable for people like me sometimes, very often, but absolutely essential to make sure that we feel that pressure every day of the summit.”