Speaking as the talks enter their second week, he said not enough has been done to combat climate change and called for united action.
Mr Obama, who arrived in Glasgow on Sunday night, said larger nations should shoulder more of the burden of fixing the climate crisis – as a theme of the talks on Monday is support for poorer countries to cope with the problem.
A veteran of the failed UN climate summit in Copenhagen and the successful meeting in Paris which secured the world’s first comprehensive climate treaty, Mr Obama was speaking at an event by COP26 organisers the UNFCCC on island resilience.
9. Obama delivering his speech at COP26.
The Hawaiian native said he is an “island kid” and ended his speech quoting a Hawaiian saying which he said roughly translates as “unite to move forward”. Photo: Jane Barlow
10. Former US president Barack Obama
Mr Obama alluded to his successor as US president, Donald Trump, as he sought to convince people his country was genuine in its efforts to tackle the climate crisis. Photo: Jane Barlow
12. Former US president Barack Obama
Former US president Barack Obama gives a speech during the Cop26 summit at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow. Picture date: Monday November 8, 2021. Photo: Jane Barlow