A major United Nations climate change summit will be held in Glasgow.

The 26th Conference of the Parties, known as COP26, will be held in November next year and is the most important round of talks since the global Paris Agreement to tackle climate change was secured in two weeks of negotiations in the French capital in 2015.

The event is expected to attract around 30,000 delegates and up to 200 world leaders at the city's SEC.

Scottish Government climate change secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: "I am pleased that Glasgow has been confirmed as the host city of COP26, now that the joint UK and Italy bid to host the summit has been approved.

"I have no doubt that Glasgow will deliver a highly successful conference and I look forward to welcoming delegates to Scotland."

Next year's talks mark the full adoption of the Paris Agreement and the date by which countries are expected to come forward with stronger emissions cuts to meet the goals of the deal.

Foreign secretary Dominic Raab welcomed the news that the UK had received international backing to host the talks, with the formal confirmation the meeting will be in Glasgow expected at this year's round of talks in Chile in December.

He said: "The UK has just received a huge vote of confidence from our international partners.

"We're poised to host the next major global climate negotiations, in partnership with Italy.

"Over 30,000 delegates from around the world will come together to commit to ambitious action to tackle climate change.

"We're ready to bring the world together to make sure we leave our precious environment in a better state for our children."

Anne McCall, the director of RSPB Scotland, said: "This is a hugely exciting announcement for Scotland and an unmissable chance for the Scottish and UK Governments to help lead the world in tackling the nature and climate emergency.

"While climate change is one of the biggest threats to nature, it is also increasingly clear that nature-based solutions such as restoring our peatlands, planting native woodlands in the right places and enhancing our coastal and wetland habitats will have a vital role to play in solving the climate crisis.

Scotland is already delivering some world-leading projects that are bringing major benefits to our climate and nature, but like all countries, there is much, much more to do to deliver the transformational change needed.

"COP26 will be a major opportunity for all countries to make commitments to invest in nature and climate solutions that will halt our runaway climate breakdown and restore the biodiversity on which human life depends. We must show leadership and act now."