All times are local (GMT). At 8:15 p.m., the talks concluded with a global agreement that aimed to preserve hopes of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and preventing catastrophic climate change. Reviews of the deal were mixed, with Kaveh Guilanpour of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions stating that the success of COP26 will only be evident in the future, depending on whether promises lead to real action in transitioning to a more sustainable future. At 7:40 p.m., COP26 President Alok Sharma appeared on the verge of tears as India's environment minister Bhupender Yadav disrupted the adoption process of the Glasgow pact by suggesting new language that would involve governments "phasing down" coal use instead of phasing it out. Despite some countries expressing disappointment, they still pledged to support the deal to prevent the negotiations from failing. Sharma apologized to the plenary for the handling of the process and became emotional. At 7:23 p.m., COP26 President Alok Sharma officially began the formal plenary by declaring, "It is now decision time." At 7:04 p.m., it was confirmed that a deal had been reached according to China. Chinese climate envoy Xie Zhenhua indicated approval when asked at the plenary floor about the passage of the Glasgow pact, stating "we have a deal" through his translator. However, he did offer a critique as well. "The voice of developing nations hasn't received adequate attention," he stated via his interpreter. Samuel Adeoye Adejuwon, a technical adviser for Nigeria's delegation, mentioned that his country supported India in opposing strong language against fossil fuels in the Glasgow agreement. He argued that special circumstances must be considered and that developing countries should not be asked to cease their development process. Adejuwon also noted that the US discussions with China and India regarding coal were aimed at reaching a mutual understanding. At 6:42 p.m., there was tension among observers at the UN climate talks as representatives from the United States and the EU met with counterparts from China and India to discuss the wording of the agreement regarding the phase-out of coal. The meeting lasted about 30 minutes before the participants emerged. A member of the Indian delegation confirmed to Reuters that the meeting had taken place, indicating that last-minute negotiations were happening as the UK conference hosts pushed for a resolution. Just prior to the meeting, US special envoy John Kerry was overheard by Reuters reminding his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua of their agreement to phase out coal over the next 20 years. At 5:36 p.m., COP26 President Alok Sharma announces that the meeting will resume shortly after country delegations have completed their speeches. A vote on the deal is expected once they reconvene. Earlier at 4:40 p.m., US special climate envoy John Kerry noted that not everyone was pleased with the draft deal at the UN talks in Glasgow, stating that discomfort among all parties is a sign of a successful negotiation. After several poor and island nations expressed their disappointment that the draft did not provide sufficient support, the speaker stated that in his opinion, the negotiation had been successful. Maldives Environment Minister Aminath Shauna was more direct in her criticism, stating that it may already be too late for the Maldives. India's environment and climate minister, Bhupender Yadav, also disapproved of the draft deal, particularly the language calling for countries to reduce fossil fuel subsidies, arguing that developing countries are still focused on their development goals and poverty eradication. At 4:08 p.m., Swiss Environment Minister Simonetta Sommaruga expressed her country's dissatisfaction with the deal due to its handling of global carbon market rules, but stated that they would accept it. She emphasized the concern that everyone was leaving the COP feeling unhappy. Gabon's Minister of Water, Forests, Sea and Environment, Lee White, also mentioned having unfinished business and needing reassurance from developed countries before departing from the Glasgow COP. At 3:58 p.m., he remarked that the deal was not perfect. The poor and small island nations in attendance at the plenary expressed a common sentiment regarding the draft climate deal, stating that it did not go far enough in providing the necessary support they needed. Despite this, they all agreed to support it. These countries, particularly the low-lying island nations and small economy blocs, had been advocating for more financial assistance from wealthier nations to help them transition to clean energy and recover from climate-related disasters. Marshall Islands climate envoy Tina Stege acknowledged that while the current deal was not sufficient, it did represent progress, and she would support it as she could not return to her island empty-handed. Tuvalu's climate envoy Seve Paeniu, holding a photo of his grandchildren, emphasized the importance of the promise made in Glasgow to secure their future upon his return to the low-lying island nation. "At 3:44 p.m., EU climate chief Frans Timmermans received enthusiastic applause for his plea to countries to come together for the sake of our future generations. He emphasized the importance of reaching a deal for our children and grandchildren, stating that they will not forgive us if we do not act today. Timmermans warned that the conference could face setbacks if countries insisted on making new changes to the texts just before the finish line." At 3:30 p.m. At a recent meeting, China negotiator Zhao Yingmin mentioned that the current draft of the deal is not perfect, but his team does not plan on making any changes to it. Representatives from Tanzania and Guinea expressed disappointment that the draft did not provide enough financial assistance for poor, climate-vulnerable countries like theirs. COP26 President Alok Sharma initiated an informal plenary to review the latest proposals, emphasizing that the conference was at a crucial point for the planet and future generations. Despite differences in opinions on the final agreement, Sharma indicated that negotiations needed to come to a close and a consensus needed to be reached. Minutes before the official plenary was scheduled to begin, US special envoy John Kerry and his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua, were seen reviewing a document together. In a surprise move days earlier, the two men had presented a joint declaration at the summit in which China committed to increasing its efforts to combat climate change by reducing coal usage, limiting methane emissions, and preserving forests. Delegates from three countries expressed confusion and frustration as negotiations took place behind closed doors to address final obstacles to reaching an agreement. One negotiator described the situation as chaotic, highlighting the last-minute tensions over a deal. China's representative was not mentioned in the original text. Upon entering his country's offices, negotiator Zhao Yingmin stated that he had no new information to share. Meanwhile, representatives from Brazil were observed attending a meeting of the G77 group of developing nations. At 1:45 p.m., after an hour and 45 minutes, Sharma returned to the microphone to inform everyone that they could leave but must return at 2:30 p.m. for the official plenary session. He explained that the delay was necessary to allow parties to conclude their negotiations and emphasized that a deal would be reached later in the afternoon. At 1:06 p.m., COP26 President Alok Sharma attempted twice to get delegates from other countries to sit down in the plenary room, where he had arrived promptly at noon. Despite his efforts, an hour later, delegates were still engaged in discussions in large groups on one side of the stage. US climate envoy John Kerry was seen moving between different groups in the room. By 12:30 p.m., delegates were eagerly awaiting updates on the negotiations but were handling the delays calmly. Axel Michaelowa, an advisor to the Honduras delegation, commented that it is typical for the COP to go over time, so the delays were not surprising. Opinions were divided in the cafeteria on what the delays meant for the final deal - whether they indicated a strong agreement that would help keep the temperature rise below 1.5C, or a weaker one. Emily Wright from Save the Children International believed that the fact that negotiations did not end early showed a commitment to reaching a deal that benefits everyone, while Naja Moretro from the Norwegian Church Aid Youth Organisation felt that the language in the texts was becoming less clear. Danish Climate Minister Dan Jorgensen expressed his support for language in the final deal that calls for a phase-out of coal. He stated that it is important to recognize that the issue is not about shaming countries reliant on fossil fuels, but rather acknowledging that some countries require assistance to transition away from coal. He suggested that the text should now also include a reference to 'just transition'. At 11:35 a.m., Nellie Dokie, 37, has been commuting two hours each way to work as a chef at the conference center. She has been cooking meals for VIPs and delegates and finally took a break to explore the main conference area. Dokie resides in Glasgow, but her roots are in Liberia. She expressed her desire to contribute to history, mentioning that she played a minor role in doing so. At 11:20 a.m., US Special Climate Envoy John Kerry seemed to be in a cheerful state. He mentioned that the weather was nice in Scotland as he walked with his top negotiators Sue Biniaz, Jonathan Pershing, and Trigg Talley, with reporters following them. It was not clear if his positive outlook was due to the progress of negotiations or the sunny weather in Glasgow. The focus of the conference moved to bilateral meetings in various rooms around the site in the past day, with delegates meeting in secure, windowless rooms. They were examining the preliminary text in preparation for the noon stocktaking session. At 8:53 a.m., a group of Greenpeace employees were gathered in the COP26 conference halls, working on laptops and drafting a new statement regarding the latest revisions. Spanish Energy and Environment Minister Teresa Ribera was observed hurrying from her delegation's office as the UK COP26 Presidency released what many hope is the final draft of the Glasgow agreement. Crews were dismantling equipment and removing flat-screen displays from meeting rooms as they continued to break down parts of the venue. At 8:21 a.m., following intense deliberations overnight, delegates were anticipating the release of another draft agreement. The delegation pavilions, where countries had displayed their environmentally friendly projects, had been taken down, however, coffee stands were still open. Civil society organizations, who had been closely monitoring the discussions, were examining documents released in the early morning for hints on what would be included in the final agreement. On Friday at 9:30 p.m., the UK conference hosts announced that there would not be a deal that night. "I expect formal plenary meetings in the afternoon to approve decisions and conclude the session on Saturday," said Alok Sharma, the UK summit president, in a statement. Delegations and the media were seen heading back to their hotels for some rest before what is expected to be a busy day tomorrow. The COP26 conference halls became quiet at 8:40 p.m. as small groups of negotiators, including some EU delegates, moved around for meetings. According to Felipe De Leon Denegri, Costa Rica's carbon markets negotiator, most of the work during the final hours of climate negotiations is done through "shuttle diplomacy" where diplomats move between rooms. However, this year, much of this shuttle diplomacy is now conducted over the messaging app WhatsApp, making the process quieter than usual. De Leon mentioned that an interesting aspect of COP in the 21st century is the occurrence of shuttle diplomacy through WhatsApp. He noted that due to the pandemic and the rise of virtual work, more interactions are taking place on the app. Tuvalu's Finance Minister Seve Paeniu, leading the delegation, stayed up late negotiating a draft agreement on "loss and damage", with vulnerable countries like Tuvalu pushing for wealthy nations to compensate for climate change impacts. He mentioned that his team is striving to urge the United States and Australia to back a separate fund for loss and damage. He also emphasized that he will not be content with leaving Glasgow without a robust collective agreement that can uphold the aim of limiting global warming to 1.5C. He expressed concerns over the lack of commitment from countries to reduce emissions to meet the 1.5 degree target and the insufficient focus on securing additional financing for adaptation. Former UK Labour Party leader Ed Miliband paused in the hallway to praise Paeniu for a speech he delivered earlier. At 7:38 p.m., the delegation offices at the summit complex were mostly quiet. Two prominent Chinese negotiators were spotted in their office, while nearby, two American negotiators were seen walking down the hall with sandwiches. It was anticipated that the night would be very long, as there were significant disagreements regarding increasing emissions cuts pledges, handling carbon markets, and providing funding for developing countries.