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COP 26 waters down the prospects of world action to stop coal pollution

Cop26: Alok Sharma in tears as India and China dilute pledge to phase out coal. A historic United Nations deal to end the use of coal power was watered down last night after a dramatic last-minute intervention from China and India.

Alok Sharma, the president of Cop26, was reduced to tears as he apologised to delegates for the way the late change was made. The deal, dubbed the Glasgow climate pact, had been set to include a pledge to accelerate the “phase-out” of coal power but this was switched late on to “phase-down”. The change in wording lessens the urgency with which countries are required to reduce the use of coal, the world’s strongest driver of climate change. Chris Stark, chief executive of the Climate Change Committee, an independent adviser to the government, said: “The writing is on the wall for fossil fuels now. We are in a new period of
action and if that is the legacy of Glasgow, I will be delighted.”

 Times 14th Nov 2021

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/cop26-alok-sharma-in-tears-as-india-and-china-dilute-pledge-to-phase-out-coal-hfd29x7t6

November 15, 2021 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, climate change