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Lizzy Buchan & Tom Beattie

Boris Johnson to give Downing Street press conference today amid backlash to COP26 deal

The Prime Minister will address the nation in a special Downing Street press conference on Sunday over the climate deal struck at COP26.

Boris Johnson will be joined at the press briefing at 5pm by COP26 President Alok Sharma, the Mirror has reported.

Mr Sharma was visibly emotional when negotiations concluded on Saturday as nearly 200 countries signed up to a new "Glasgow Pact" to battle climate change.

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But he admitted there was "disappointment" after a last-minute row on coal led by China and India which saw commitments to phase out the dirty fuel watered down.

The former business secretary told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: “In terms of what happened yesterday, we managed to get an enormous amount over the line.

“On a personal level, I have invested enormous amounts of the last two years into this.

“I’ve been out to see countries, talked to people on the front line of climate change, and of course I’d had about six hours sleep in 72 hours previously, so it was an emotional moment.”

COP26 President Alok Sharma speaking at the COP 26 in Glasgow (Steve Reigate)

Mr Sharma said it had been his job to “build consensus” on the final deal, as he denied the Glasgow Pact had ended in failure.

Asked whether his emotional reaction to the change in language on coal was an admission of failure, Mr Sharma replied: “I wouldn’t describe what we did yesterday as a failure – it is a historic achievement.”

Labour warned that Glasgow's aim of keeping global temperatures from rising to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels were now in "intensive care".

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