Greta Thunberg surrounded by climate change activists at London protest
What is COP26 and what are its aims? ITV News Scotland Correspondent Peter Smith explains
Greta Thunberg was surrounded by climate change activists as she joined a protest in London ahead of the COP26 summit in Glasgow on Sunday.
The teenage activist met campaigners outside the Standard Chartered headquarters as they lobbied against the global financial system supporting the use of fossil fuels.
Ms Thunberg led the protest with chants of “We are unstoppable, another world is possible” and “What do we want? Climate justice. When do we want it? Now”.
She then left the area, while activists continued the campaign.
In a statement on its website Standard Chartered said it had "ambitious new targets to reach net-zero carbon emissions from its financed activity by 2050".
The teenage climate crisis activist proved popular with crowds at the protest
Ms Thunberg is expected to attend the COP26 summit taking place in Glasgow from Monday, although says she has not officially been invited.
World leaders will arrive in Scotland to discuss climate change and how to combat it.
Andrew Marr, in a preview for his BBC One show on Sunday, asked her if she had been invited, and she responded: “I don’t know. It’s very unclear. Not officially.
“I think that many people might be scared that if they invite too many radical young people, then that might make them look bad.”
She added that more countries affected by climate change should be at the conference.
Ms Thunberg said: “We need more representation from the so-called global south, from the most affected people and areas.
“It’s not fair when, for example, one country send lots and lots of delegates, and then another country is very under-represented. That already creates an imbalance, and climate justice is at the very heart of this crisis.
“As long as we keep ignoring the historical responsibility of the countries of the global north and as long as we continue to ignore it, the negotiations will not have a successful outcome.”
Greta is one of thousands of activists attending protests across 26 countries.
ITV News London reporter Ria Chatterjee was with environmentalists who were determined to make their voices heard
As campaigners walked through the streets of London, they were joined by a band playing Power To The People and five women dressed as banshees affected by pollution.
Others included Greenwich teacher Kevin Wright, who spoke about London's Silvertown Tunnel, saying: “We cannot afford it environmentally or financially. There are no grounds that makes it good.
“It will draw large traffic into the most densely populated parts of the UK.
“All I see I self-interest in this tunnel, all I see is harm, but to some it’s big money and to (London mayor Sadiq) Khan it probably is his pension.”
The COP27 climate conference - what you need to know
What is COP27? When and where will it be?
What is COP27? When and where will it be?
Each year, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meets at what is called the Conference of the Parties (abbreviated as COP) to discuss the world's progress on climate change and how to tackle it.
COP27 is the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties summit which will be held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt from November 6-18.
Who is going?
Who is going?
Leaders of the 197 countries that signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) - a treaty that came into force in 1994 - are invited to the summit.
These are some of the world leaders that will be attending COP27:
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is attending the conference, after initially saying he wouldn't as he was too busy focusing on the economy within his first weeks in office.
US President Joe Biden and his experienced climate envoy, John Kerry, will appear at the talks.
France President Emmanuel Macron will also be among the heads of state from around the world staying in Egypt.
King Charles III will not be attending COP27, despite being a staunch advocate for the environment. The decision was made jointly by Buckingham Palace and former prime minister Liz Truss.
Elsewhere, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will not attend the talks just as they decided to do for COP26.
What is it hoping to achieve?
What is it hoping to achieve?
1. Ensure full implementation of the Paris Agreement and putting negotiations into concrete actions - included within this is the target of limiting global warming to well below 2C.
2. Cementing progress on the critical workstreams of mitigation, adaptation, finance and loss and damage, while stepping up finance notably to tackle the impacts of climate change.
3. Enhancing the delivery of the principles of transparency and accountability throughout the UN Climate Change process.
The protests come days before world leaders meet in Glasgow for the COP26 summit, where they will discuss how to tackle climate change.
In 2015, countries signed the Paris agreement to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5C and reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
The International Energy Agency says there can be no further exploration of oil and gas after this year.