COP26 summit: China’s climate commitments in the spotlight after coal pledge is watered down
- A last-minute intervention by India and China downgraded a pledge to end the use of the fossil fuel, a move condemned by vulnerable nations
- Overall reaction to the deal was mixed after talks ended without a firm commitment to work to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5C
The last-minute intervention by India and China also saw a pledge to “phase out” the use of coal downgraded to one to “phase down” its use instead – a change criticised by representatives of many island states that are most at risk from rising sea levels.
“What we would like to express was not just our astonishment but our immense disappointment in the manner in which this has been introduced,” the representative for Fiji told the summit.
However, it was the first explicit mention of targeting the use of fossil fuels in a United Nations climate agreement. Alok Sharma, the president of the summit, said the deal had “kept alive” the 1.5-degree target, but India and China should justify their actions.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres welcomed the deal but said it was “not enough”.
“Our fragile planet is hanging by a thread,” he said in a statement. “We are still knocking on the door of climate catastrophe.”
