SCOTTISH Labour has called for climate leadership from the SNP as Cop26 began in Glasgow, after Nicola Sturgeon said that world leaders must return home from the conference with a “message of hope.”

Officials from the Westminster and Scottish governments, plus Glasgow City Council, welcomed those attending the United Nations climate summit, whose formal opening took place today, ahead of a two-day summit of about 120 world leaders starting on Monday.

Other parts of Cop26 will continue until at least November 12.

Ms Sturgeon said that climate change was now an inescapable reality and that there was no time to lose over the coming days. 

She said: “Once world leaders are all in the same room, they must seize the moment and agree the necessary steps to prevent catastrophic temperature rises — and when they leave Glasgow, they must return home carrying a message of hope for humanity’s future.

“Scotland may not be at the top table of these negotiations, but I and the Scottish government will be doing absolutely everything we can to help make this conference a success.”

The First Minister was also on the receiving end of criticism, with MSPs calling for action, not warm words, from Scotland’s ruling party. 

Scottish Labour’s Monica Lennon said: “We need a real plan to build a green economy and get us back on track to meet our climate targets.

“The SNP must show the leadership needed by investing in green jobs, setting up a public energy company and coming off the fence on issues like Cambo [a proposed Shetland oil project] and the need for a ban on incinerators.”

Green MSP Ross Greer also said that he was doubtful of seeing a commitment to action on the scale needed from Cop26, but he hoped that any agreement would help buy time to tackle the climate emergency.