COP26: New draft weakens language on fossil fuel phaseout

Talks may overrun past Friday

The latest version of the COP26 draft agreement, published this Friday (12 November), retains an unprecedented reference to fossil fuels, but has softened the language after a fierce campaign from major coal, oil and gas producers to have it removed entirely.

But the substance in this draft is weaker than the previous one, using watered down language, some of which can be open to interpretation. The first draft of the "cover decision" for the overarching agreement at the summit called for countries "to accelerate the phasing-out of coal and subsidies for fossil fuels". Rathbone Greenbank's Day: 'We need to try harder, but we are on the right track' In the new draft, this has changed to calling on countries to accelerate the shift to clean energy systems, "including by rapidly scaling up clean power generation and accelerating the phaseo...