SCOTLAND has come out of COP26 better than the UK, which has shown an “absolute lack of leadership”, Lorna Slater has said.

The Scottish Greens co-leader said that Scotland is “embarrassed all the time” being represented by Boris Johnson and that the Prime Minister has “dropped the ball” on negotiations.

Comparing this year’s COP to the one in Paris in 2015 when the initial agreement that delegates are working to implement was reached, Slater said that France did the ground work - but the UK hasn’t.

It comes as environmental groups hit out at the second draft of the Glasgow agreement released on Friday, saying that it went “backwards” on fossil fuels compared to the first draft.

READ MORE: COP26: Nicola Sturgeon hailed as the 'true leader' at climate summit

Speaking to journalists in the Blue Zone, Slater said that the UK had shown “no leadership at all” before and during the two-week summit.

She said: “The UK has shown an absolute lack of leadership.

“One of the reasons why the Paris Agreement was successful is because the French government in the weeks running up to it did an on-the-ground diplomatic effort to do the work beforehand so that an agreement could be reached in those two weeks.

“COP doesn’t begin and end in those two weeks, it happens in all the diplomatic relations before that, and the UK did none of that, there’s been no leadership from the UK at all.

“Boris Johnson says one thing and then gets on a plane to go have dinner with a climate denier.

The National:

Slater said Johnson and the UK had failed to show leadership at the summit

“Boris Johnson is not pushing his government to do anything; he's absolutely dropped the ball.

“Look at the amount of work the First Minister has done this week, she’s been everywhere, she’s talked to everyone, she’s really setting Scotland’s place on the world stage and I’m really proud to be part of her government this week.”

Asked if she believes Scotland has come out of the climate summit better than the UK, Slater said that was “absolutely” the case.

She added: “I mean we’re embarrassed all the time by being represented by Boris Johnson.

“I think Scotland’s done a really good job at not only hosting, Glasgow’s been a wonderful city for hosting, people have said how welcoming, how friendly everyone has been in Glasgow, so I think Glasgow can feel really proud of the job that it’s done.

READ MORE: COP26: 'No excuse' not to meet $100bn pledge, says Nicola Sturgeon

“But yeah, absolutely, Scotland has shown itself so well.”

Asked if she wished Scotland had a bigger role in negotiations, Slater said: “Of course I do, I believe in an independent Scotland so I’m hoping one day we can be part of the Conference of the Parties and I can be one of those ministers in the room helping to scoop up the government instead of supporting from the outside.

“Of course I want Scotland in the room.”

The Greens minister added that whatever happens at COP, Scotland still has a role to play and has shown that it can lead through policies on restoring peatland, creating jobs in renewable energy, moves to decarbonise and upgrade homes to be more energy efficient, amongst many others.

She added: “We in Scotland can show other countries the way, show them how to do it, and we can do better.”

We previously told how activists staged a mass-walk out on the final day of the climate summit.

Protesters could be heard chanting “the people united, will never be defeated” as they left the main hall, and made their way through the SEC conference centre.