The United Nations has postponed a crucial climate summit scheduled to be held in Glasgow, UK, in November due to disruption caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.  

The decision to delay the negotiations was taken after a virtual meeting held between the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the UK government on Wednesday.

In light of the ongoing worldwide effects of COVID-19, holding an ambitious, inclusive 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) in November 2020 is no longer possible, said a joint statement released early morning on Thursday.

"The world is currently facing an unprecedented global challenge and countries are rightly focusing their efforts on saving lives and fighting COVID-19. That is why we have decided to reschedule COP26," said Alok Sharma, president-designate for the climate talks.

More than 30,000 delegates, environment campaigners and activists were expected to attend the climate negotiations at the Scottish city of Glasgow from November 9-20.

Nearly five years after the landmark Paris agreement, governments were supposed to announce their ramped-up targets to curb rising greenhouse gas emissions.

According to the agreement, governments should curtail their continually rising emissions to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

"COVID-19 is the most urgent threat facing humanity today, but we cannot forget that climate change is the biggest threat facing humanity over the long term," said Patricia Espinosa, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary

"Soon, economies will restart. This is a chance for nations to recover better, to include the most vulnerable in those plans, and a chance to shape the 21st-century economy in ways that are clean, green, healthy, just, safe and more resilient.”

The coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 37,200 worldwide as of April 2, leading to travel restrictions, to control the transmission of the virus. Even the COP26 venue in Glasgow has been converted into a health center for treatment and isolation of infected patients.

According to the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), rescheduling will ensure all parties can focus on the issues to be discussed at this vital conference and allow more time for the necessary preparations to take place.

"The current alarming situation we are facing also underlines the need for urgent action to halt the imminent loss of lives from the climate crisis and to rebalance our relationship with nature," said Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, leader of WWF's global climate and energy practice. 

(Cover Image: Outgoing Bank of England governor Mark Carney, and COP26 Finance Adviser to Britain's prime minister, makes a speech to launch the private finance agenda for the 2020 United Nations Climate Change Conference COP26 at Guildhall in London, February 27, 2020. /AP)