Key international climate talks due to take place in Glasgow could be postponed for a second time, according to reports.
The Cop26 meeting was set to take place at Glasgow’s Scottish Events Campus – which was instead turned into a temporary Covid-19 field hospital – in November last year.
But an announcement in May 2020 from the UN’s climate body, the UNFCCC, and the UK Government said the summit would be pushed back to 2021 in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
Now, according to a report from Sky News, the climate change summit may have to be postponed for a second time - otherwise faces being "radically changed".
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is currently working to ensure the event can be held in person, with vaccinations and robust testing planned.
READ MORE: World needs a Glasgow Convention – and Scotland is already showing the way
However, two government sources told Sky News the Glasgow summit might still have to be delayed, with signs the pandemic is getting worse in certain parts of the world.
The decision rests with not only Downing Street but the United Nations, as well as the Scottish government.
One government source told Sky News: "There are too many uncertainties. It will depend on what public health rules are brought in between now and then, and what happens with vaccinations of delegates."
However, the UK Government has denied claims that the UN Climate Change Conference (Cop26) could be postponed.
A spokesperson said they are not looking to postpone the summit, and are "working closely with all partners and exploring what different scenarios might mean for COP26."
They say the Covid situation is being closely monitored.
Asked whether Cop26 would be postponed or scaled down, a No 10 source said: “I’ve seen nothing at all to suggest that.”
Cop26 is the most important round of talks since the global Paris Agreement to tackle climate change was secured in 2015.
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This year marks the date by which countries are expected to come forward with stronger emissions cuts to meet the goals of the deal.
Plans submitted so far put the world on a pathway towards more than 3C of warming, though the Paris Agreement commits countries to curb temperatures to 1.5C or 2C above pre-industrial levels to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
But with countries around the world grappling with coronavirus, and many putting citizens in lockdown, governments are prioritising the immediate global health crisis.
A UK Government spokesperson said: "We are working on the basis of COP26 being held in person this November, while closely monitoring the Covid situation.
"The summit team is working closely with all partners and exploring what different scenarios might mean for COP26 and how we plan for that, whilst putting the health of the participants and the local community first.
"We are not looking to postpone the summit."
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