Introduction

What was really at stake at the COP26 negotiations in Glasgow, and how much have the politicians done to avert a climate disaster?

Justin Rowlatt speaks to two researchers on the frontline of the climate crisis. Carrie Lear, professor of earth sciences at Cardiff University, explains why she fears the Antarctic ice sheet could melt far quicker than people assume, inundating coastal cities around the globe. Meanwhile Professor Daniela Schmidt of Bristol University says the chemistry of the world's oceans is changing so fast that it could take marine ecosystems millions of years to recover.

Given how high the stakes are, how significant was the progress made in the latest iteration of climate talks? Justin speaks to sustainability expert and veteran climate diplomat Rachel Kyte, dean of the Fletcher School of international affairs at Tufts University in America.

(Picture: Globe balanced on the edge of a shelf; Credit: Getty Images)