New COP26 draft agreement retains unprecedented language on phasing out coal and fossil fuel subsidies
CNN
A reference to phasing out coal and ending subsidies for fossil fuels has been retained, albeit slightly weakened, in the latest draft of the COP26 climate agreement published on Saturday after talks went into overtime.
If the final text even makes mention of fossil fuels, it would be an unprecedented inclusion in the history of the COP process. In all 25 COPs before Glasgow, never has the role of coal, oil and gas as a driver, let alone the main driver, of the climate crisis made the final text.
The new draft -- which is in its third iteration -- urges countries to rapidly scale up the use of clean power generation and energy efficiency measures, "including accelerating efforts towards the phase-out of unabated coal power and inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, recognizing the need for support towards a just transition."