COP26: Barack Obama to attend climate summit in Glasgow - where he’s speaking and staying

What’s happening? Barack Obama will attend the COP26 climate summit that’s currently taking place in Glasgow.

What’s Obama’s schedule at COP26?

Mr Obama is expected to attend the US Pavilion in the Blue zone today (8 November), as well as an event at Strathclyde University.

On Monday November 8, his first day at the climate summit, Mr Obama will also deliver a half-hour speech at the conference, starting at 2pm.

He will "lay out the important progress made in the five years since the Paris agreement took effect, highlight the leadership of young people around the globe, and urge more robust action going forward by all of us - governments, the private sector, philanthropy, and civil society", according to a statement from his spokeswoman Hannah Hankins.

Having signed the Paris Climate Agreement on behalf of the United States back in 2016, Mr Obama is also expected to reflect on the Agreement during COP26.

The length and precise plans for the rest of his stay are unclear, including whether he will stay for leisure activities after the climate summit has formally concluded.

It is expected that he will meet with young people who are campaigning for more to be done on climate change, and highlight their message.

Where is Obama staying in Scotland?

Like President Joe Biden and some other world leaders, Mr Obama is staying in Edinburgh rather than Glasgow.

He will spend his time in Scotland at the Waldorf Astoria, The Caledonian.

When is COP26? COP26 will run from 31 October until 12 November in Glasgow. The aim of the meeting is to speed up the process of reaching the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention of Climate Change. It was originally due to take place last year, but was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Who else will attend COP26? Around 30,000 delegates from across the world are expected to arrive in Glasgow for the major climate talks, which have been billed as the world’s “last best chance” to avert the worst consequences of the climate crisis by US climate envoy John Kerry.

Joe Biden, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon attended COP26.

Sir David Attenborough addressed world leaders and other attendees during the summit last week

This weekend saw two large protests - Fridays for Future march, which included Greta Thunberg, and the Global Day of Action on Saturday 6 November.

It was confirmed earlier this month that the Pope won’t be attending COP26 and, more recently, China's President Xi Jinping would also not be attending.