World leaders agree to ‘phase down’ instead of ‘phase out’ coal

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 14

International climate conference COP26 concluded late Saturday with a “compromised” Glasgow Climate Pact calling for “phase down” of coal and asking countries to strengthen their 2030 climate action plans, or NDCs (nationally-determined contributions), by next year .

India and China ensured the last-minute change from “phase out” of unabated coal power in the draft cover to “phase down” in the final text, even as countries like Switzerland and EU objected and ultimately conceded.

The initial language had called on parties to accelerate phase out of coal and fossil fuel subsidies Despite the dilution, the inclusion of language on reduction of coal power is being seen as an important movement forward.

Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, who disagreed with the language on fossil fuel, said, “Developing countries are entitled to use fossil fuels. Instead of agreeing to phase out, he read out the new version of the paragraph that used the phrase phase down”.

In a statement later, he called the climate summit a “success” from India’s standpoint, terming as “troublesome” the “lack of commitment on climate finance” by developed nations.

The conference agreed to further boost 2030 climate targets by next year and double adaptation finance by 2025, “keeping alive” the 1.5 °C goal, but it failed to deliver on loss and damage facility for the most vulnerable and paying the cost of emissions and historic responsibility of climate change created by developed countries.

The final text acknowledges the needs of developing countries for climate finance and asked developed countries to double the collective share of adaptation finance within the $100 billion annual target for 2021-2025 and to reach the $100 billion goal as soon as possible.

In other words, developed countries slipped back to a commitment of $100 billion a year, in place since 2009 and as yet undelivered.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the outcome a “compromise” and urged action towards keeping global temperature rise within 1.5 °C.

UK COP26 President Alok Sharma said he was “deeply sorry” for the way the process had unfolded. Later he told mediapersons that “China and India will have to explain themselves to the most climate vulnerable countries in the world”.

To boost 2030 target

The Glasgow conference agreed to further boost 2030 climate targets by next year and double adaptation finance by 2025

Glasgow Summit a success

The summit proved to be a success from India’s standpoint because we articulated and put across the concerns and ideas of the developing world quite succinctly and unequivocally. Bhupender Yadav, Union Environment Minister

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