The COP26 climate change summit has opened in Glasgow as world leaders, the heads of international organisations and charity bosses jetted into Scotland.

Monday’s session saw a string of world leaders take to the podium to address the conference.

Here’s what they said:

Boris Johnson – ‘The doomsday device is real’

The UK prime minister told the summit that the world was roughly in the same position as James Bond as he tries to deactivate a doomsday device in the spy films.

“The tragedy is this is not a movie and the doomsday device is real,” he said.

“The clock is ticking to the furious rhythm of hundreds of billions of pistons and furnaces and engines with which we are pumping carbon into the air faster and faster… and quilting the earth in an invisible and suffocating blanket of CO2, raising the temperature of the planet with a speed and abruptness that is entirely man made.”

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Prince Charles – ‘We know this will take trillions’

The Prince of Wales told world leaders that tackling climate change issues would need “trillions” of dollars.

He said: “My plea today is for countries to come together to create the environment that enables every sector of industry to take the action required.

“We know this will take trillions, not billions, of dollars. We also know that countries, many of whom are burdened by growing levels of debt, simply cannot afford to ‘go green’.

“Here we need a vast military-style campaign to marshal the strength of the global private sector.”

"We know this will take trillions, not billions of dollars"

Prince Charles appeals to the finance sector to help slow climate change, saying this industry has even more firepower than global leaders.

Latest on #COP26: https://t.co/P2QoFgAgfH pic.twitter.com/Zi1CY6mPUg

Joe Biden – ‘An inflection point in world history’

The US president said there were opportunities in building a “clean energy future”.

“We know that none of us can escape the worst that’s yet to come if we fail to seize this moment,” he told the conference.

“But, ladies and gentlemen, within the growing catastrophe I believe there’s an incredible opportunity, not just for the US but for all of us.

“We’re standing at an inflection point in world history.

“We have the ability to invest in ourselves and build an equitable clean energy future, and in the process create millions of good-paying jobs and opportunities around the world.”

"This is the decade that will determine the answer."

US President Joe Biden says the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C 'remains within our reach' if we "come together and commit to doing our part with determination and ambition".#COP26 https://t.co/HZZAJ6edBw pic.twitter.com/rfzUbKPqjp

Narendra Modi – ‘India sticking to its pledges in spirit and letter’

India’s prime minister has set 2070 as a target for his country to reach net-zero carbon emissions, two decades after the US and at least 10 years later than China.

But he defended the target, saying India was sticking to its pledges “in spirit and letter”.

Mr Modi said his nation represents 17% of the world’s population but is responsible for “only 5% of global emissions”.

He said the goal of reaching “net zero” by 2070 was one of five measures India planned to undertake to meet its commitments under the Paris climate accord.

He pointed to action including increasing non-fossil fuel energy and decarbonising the Indian railway system. And he demanded developed countries makes $1trn available as climate finance “as soon as possible today”.

Mia Mottley – ‘We want to exist 100 years from now’

The Barbadian prime minister urged other countries to “try harder” on climate change in a bid to avoid a “death sentence” for developing nations.

“Our world, my friends, stands at a fork in the road, one no less significant than when the United Nations was formed in 1945,” she added.

“But then, the majority of our countries here did not exist – we exist now – and the difference is we want to exist 100 years from now.

“If our existence is to mean anything, then we must act in the interest of all of our people that are dependent on us.

“If we don’t, we will allow the path of greed and selfishness to sow the seeds of our common destruction.”

"Are we so blinded we can no longer appreciate the cries of humanity?"

"Our people are taking note," the Prime Minister of Barbados says, asking "how many more voices and how many more pictures of people we must see" before action is taken.#COP26 https://t.co/HZZAJ6edBw pic.twitter.com/HNvBfKMawK

Sir David Attenborough – ‘Is this how our story is due to end?’

The veteran naturalist warned humanity was “already in trouble” from burning fossil fuels, destroying nature and releasing carbon into the atmosphere.

“Is this how our story is due to end – a tale of the smartest species doomed by that all too human characteristic of failing to see the bigger picture in pursuit of short-term goals?,” he asked.

“Perhaps the fact that the people affected by climate change are no longer some imagined future generations but young people alive today, perhaps that will give us the impetus we need to rewrite our story, to turn this tragedy into a triumph.”

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Antonio Guterres – ‘We are digging our own graves’

The UN secretary general told the summit that the world’s “addiction to fossil fuels is pushing humanity to the brink” and warned: “We are digging our own graves.”

“Our planet is talking to us and telling us something,” he added.

“And so are people everywhere. Climate action tops the list of people’s concerns, across countries, age and gender.

“We must listen – and we must act – and we must choose wisely.

“On behalf of this and future generations, I urge you: Choose ambition. Choose solidarity. Choose to safeguard our future and save humanity.”

'Chose ambition, solidarity, chose to safeguard our future and save humanity', says UN Secretary General António Guterres, at the opening ceremony of #COP26.

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Wavel Ramkawlawan – ‘We are already gasping for survival’

The Seychelles president said his country was “a victim” along with other small island developing states.

“We suffer the effects and consequences of industrialisation and climate change,” he said.

“We are already gasping for survival. When I hear the expression ‘rising sea levels’ I am scared because it brings home the awareness that my country’s granitic islands will lose all the economic activity that is happening around the coast.

“And I also realise that the beautiful archipelago of 115 islands that we are today may be reduced to less than 50 as our coral islands disappear.”

"We are already gasping for survival".

Seychelles president Wavel Ramkalawan says the country is a "victim" – along with other small island developing states – of the "affects and consequences of industrialisation and climate change".#COP26 https://t.co/3Osmm8Rpvh pic.twitter.com/Msx7peL7Di

Mario Draghi – ‘We need to build on the G20 agreement and act faster’

The Italian prime minister, who recently hosted the G20 summit in Rome, said the impact of climate change was already “all too evident” in weather disasters.

“Climate change can tear us apart,” he told the Glasgow summit. “Thanks to the constant cooperation and dialogue we are making good progress on addressing climate change.

“Here at the COP26 we must now go further than we did at the G20. We need to speed up our commitment to keep rising temperatures below 1.5C.

“We need to build on the G20 agreement and act faster and more decisively.”

Justin Trudeau – ‘Ensure it is no longer free to pollute’

Canada’s prime minister urged efforts to put a price on pollution to bring down global emissions.

“Just as globally we’ve agreed to a minimum corporate tax, we must work together to ensure it is no longer free to pollute anywhere in the world,” he said.

“That means establishing a shared minimum standard for pricing pollution.

“We know pollution pricing is key to getting emissions down while getting innovation up and running.”

"It's a big step that is absolutely necessary".

Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, has committed to capping oil and gas emissions "today to ensure they decrease tomorrow at a pace and scale needed to reach net-zero by 2050."#COP26 https://t.co/3Osmm8Rpvh pic.twitter.com/ik3hqXX1Vw

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