The UN’s COP26 climate summit will go ahead as planned in Glasgow later this year, the Scottish Government’s lead for the summit has reportedly said.

There had been speculation over whether the event – scheduled for Nov. 1-12 – would take place after it was postponed from 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But in a webinar held on Wednesday, Gerard Howe told more than 200 online attendees that the international meeting would definitely take place, The Scotsman reports.

Howe acknowledged it was “inevitable” that virtual events would play a part in the conference, but there remained hope that key negotiations between world leaders would involve face-to-face meetings.

He added that “lots of uncertainty” remained around the logistics, such as ensuring safe travel for delegates from around 200 countries, but organisers were working hard to find solutions.

The news confirms Carbon Pulse’s reporting last week, that UK officials are planning for COP26 to go ahead as a mixed in-person and online event, with country delegate teams potentially split up and also separated from other attendees including business representatives, civil society, and the press.

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