Zero Carbon campaigner Mark Fermor on Glasgow's fresh optimism

There's a refreshing dose of honesty from some of our world leaders here in Glasgow,.

This is perhaps the first COP where doubts and naysayers have been swept away.

There is clear recognition of the massive pace and scale of change we need to respond adequately to keep our world within the 1.5C average temperature increase set by the Paris Agreement.

As a member of the public I have access to the Green Zone where there are some useful things happening, but there is no formal role for groups and limited opportunities for civic participation.

There is a hive of activity in the city itself with colourful protestors mingling with residents who are just going about their daily activities, and many NGOs and other groups all meeting round the fringes.

The real action and real decisions are going on in the Blue Zone, which has been transformed into a part of the United Nations, with its own border guard force and no representation from UK counties.

I am sensing two moods among people. One is that we have had 25 COPs so far and good intentions have been shown to be useless in the face of runaway growth in emissions and devastation of our natural world.

But there is also another mood of optimism of people coming together and a sense that this COP could make the decisions we need to put our world onto a sustainable path and limit further damage. A positive sense of purpose amongst some buoyed by this week's agreements on methane and deforestation.

I fear that the enemy is the tendency towards ‘business as normal’. There are plenty of people from big businesses who stick to the corporate line about how well they are doing.

Then there are politicians who stick to the party line. There needs to be a defining national moment for us after this is over, to recognise what it takes to put our country onto the wartime footing that Prince Charles and others have so clearly expressed, and a plan from our Government for the new legal structures we need for the national mobilisation that must follow if we are to avoid the inertia of ongoing adherence to rules that are no longer fit for purpose.

Among the things we need to do is to sort out the energy system. We will need to build the renewable energy sources. Offshore wind is not enough for the cities and rural counties like Shropshire will need to be at least self-sustaining, and, for example, solar farms in Shropshire that will need the energy companies to pro-actively improve the grid ready for net zero but the current rules don't allow them to do that.

After COP26 there will need to be I suggest new forums and citizens' assemblies to help set the new direction that enables everyone to work together, and we won't have time for business as usual.

Climate change is more of a threat than the second world war, but there is a sense that we are not yet treating it as such.

Our PM has confirmed we are in last chance saloon. Those many of us who have been increasingly alarmed at developing climate meltdown and lack of response will watch developments here in Glasgow with our hearts in our mouths with a sense of massive apprehension, anticipation and hope that the world will seize the day.

If we come away with a global sense of purpose and determination then the good intentions of COP26 can be translated into immediate action on the scale and pace we need to stabilise the world’s climate and ecosystem.

The level of ambition has been set by the world leaders and it is now down to the negotiators in the Blue Zone. We are all hoping that those delegates will make the right choices.