Cop26 President Alok Sharma will hold talks with more than 50 nations including the US, India and China as he seeks to lay the groundwork for negotiations at the environmental summit in Glasgow.

The Conservative MP will host some of the ministers in London, while others will join online, with less than 100 days to go to the international climate talks in November.

During the two-day meeting on Sunday, major emitters will meet with countries that are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change as they discuss the aim of limiting global warming to 1.5C.

Ahead of the event, Mr Sharma said: “We are facing perilous times for our planet and the only way we will safeguard its future is if countries are on the same path.

“As ministers responsible for tackling climate change, we hold the weight of the world on our shoulders, and the next two days will be nothing short of critical.”