A major climate change summit in Glasgow this year should be held in person, according to the UK's Environment Secretary.
George Eustice said he believes the COP26 climate conference, set to take place in November, would be “much more effective” if people were able to physically attend.
The United Nations event was postponed from when it was originally supposed to happen in November 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Eustice told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday: “Well, we think it should be done in person, physically.
“There is a COP secretariat or a COP bureau that ultimately makes these final decisions but they do so in very close co-operation with the host country.
READ MORE: ScotHotSeat: Party leaders face young Scots' climate questions
“We delayed it obviously last year because we wanted it to happen in person. I think it’s much more effective if it does happen in person and that’s absolutely our intention.
“There may be components of it that are part-virtual that some people attend virtually but we think for the main leader summit that it happens in person and that’s our intention.”
His comments echo those made by COP president Alok Sharma, who said last week that the Government is “working very hard” to ensure the conference can go ahead in person.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg does not plan to travel to Glasgow for the event and suggested it be postponed.
The summit is set to bring together the largest gathering of heads of state ever hosted in the UK, alongside climate experts and campaigners.
The aim is to agree a co-ordinated global action plan to tackle the climate emergency.
READ MORE: Greta Thunberg won't attend Glasgow summit as COP26 'should be postponed'
Downing Street has said the UK is “using all international avenues” to ask every nation to set ambitious emission-reducing targets, to reach net-zero carbon output by the middle of the century.
It comes as global leaders are expected to take part in a virtual two-day summit on climate change from April 22, head by US president Joe Biden.
The Prime Minister's climate change tsar is travelling to Japan this week to bolster support ahead of the environment conference.
He will meet Japanese prime minister Yoshihide Suga to advocate for strong climate change policies and urge him to follow the UK’s lead in phasing out coal power.
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