NICOLA Sturgeon has been hailed as the "true leader" to emerge from COP26 after she doubled a commitment to help tackle the damages of climate change.

Despite Scotland not being an active party at COP26 due to being grouped with the UK, Scotland's First Minister has been making an impact at the climate talks.

Yesterday, she was given the "Ray of the Day" award at the summit after she announced a £1 million commitment to tackle loss and damage caused by climate change would be doubled.

The fund is separate from a $100 billion global fund to a Climate Justice Fund, for which she has also trebled Scotland's commitment over the course of the current parliamentary term.

Saleemul Huq, director of the International Center for Climate Change and Development, praised the FM as becoming the "true leader" who has emerged from this summit.

Huq said: "The true leader that has emerged here in COP26 is not a party to the convention, she is our host. She is the First Minister of Scotland. 

"Just before the COP started, she put a million pounds of Scottish money on the table for a new fund on loss and damage and challenged all the other leaders to match it. Yesterday, she doubled the amount.

"So she is the true leader that is putting money on the table for loss and damage. The US is giving us zero dollars, Europe is giving us zero euros, but Scotland is giving us two million."

The National: Nicola Sturgeon (left) and activist Vanessa Nakate (right) during a discussion in the main plenary on climate financeNicola Sturgeon (left) and activist Vanessa Nakate (right) during a discussion in the main plenary on climate finance

Sturgeon said yesterday that world leaders have "no excuse" not to deliver on the $100bn climate pledge that was made at COP21 in Denmark.

In addition to committing £9m annually to a Climate Justice Fund over the course of the current parliament, the FM also announced that a separate fund of £2m will be committed for loss and damage caused by climate change, doubling the commitment made on Monday.

Climate activist Vanessa Nakate praised Scotland’s commitment to the specific fund to tackle irreversible climate change, but warned it is “just the start”.

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon swiftly shuts down complaints about her COP26 appearances

Sturgeon said: “There’s many things that Glasgow has to achieve and I hope we will see them achieved over the next 48 hours or so but one relatively straightforward thing, that should be achievevd and there is no excuse for not achieving, is meeting that $100 billion commitment.

“It was made 12 years ago, it will be shameful if we come out of this COP without that commitment being met.”