Boris Johnson tells leaders ‘it’s one minute to midnight & we must act now’ as COP26 summit begins

BORIS Johnson today warns the world “it’s one minute to midnight and we need to act now” in the climate change battle — but was snubbed by the planet’s biggest polluters.

The PM launches a historic bid to cut the globe’s toxic carbon emissions with thousands of the world’s most powerful politicians and diplomats arriving in Glasgow for the landmark COP26 summit.

But in a gloomy warning at a press conference at the G20 in Rome last night, the PM said; “If Glasgow fails, then the whole thing fails.’’

He said: “If we don’t act now, the Paris Agreement will be looked at in the future, not as the moment that humanity opened its eyes to the problem but the moment we flinched and turned away.’’

The PM told world leaders their promises on climate change are “starting to sound frankly hollow” as the battle to limit global warming to 1.5C hangs in the balance.

He added: “There are no compelling excuses for our procrastination.”

But leaders of some of the world’s biggest polluters, including Russia and China, are only sending delegations on their behalf.

And on a big eve of summit blow, the G20 massively watered down original plans to commit the world to going Net Zero by 2050 and phasing out coal.

Without the backing of Russia and China, hopes warming can be halted at 1.5C look set to be dashed.

Britain will lead the charge to stem global warming from causing famine and floods by pledging another £1billion in aid, the PM will say.

Boris, expecting a baby this winter with wife Carrie, will starkly warn “it will be too late for our children” if they delay any longer.

Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel are among the global throng descending on Scotland’s second city for the mass eco gathering.

But original commitments to “refrain from building new unabated coal power generation capacity in the 2030s” have been ripped out and replaced by a wishy washy language.

Meanwhile, thousands of people heading to Glasgow were forced to abandon their plans or hop on polluting planes as tornados battered Britain and knocked out vast chunks of the train lines.

In his stark message at the opening of the historic gathering, Boris will say: “Humanity has long since run down the clock on climate change. It’s one minute to midnight and we need to act now.”

He will add: “We have to move from talk and debate and discussion to concerted, real-world action on coal, cars, cash and trees.

“Not more hopes and targets and aspirations, valuable though they are, but clear commitments and concrete timetables for change.”

In a sobering assessment in Rome, he said the chances of success in Scotland are still around six out of ten.

Britain is laying on a two-week charm offensive to try to coax and cajole the world’s leaders into taking action on climate change.

The Royal family are laying on a glitzy reception for politicians in Glasgow tonight, with Kate and William and Charles and Camilla all enlisted to work their magic on politicians.

And the Queen will deliver a video message urging the globe to act after she was ordered to stay home and rest by her doctors.