COP26 deal reached as nations seek to avert climate disaster

The agreement came despite a last-gasp intervention from China and India seeking to water down language on fossil fuels in the summit’s text

The text now calls on countries to begin ‘phasing down’ instead of ‘phasing out’ coal – still the first explicit mention of fossil fuels in a UN climate deal

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Delegates pose for a picture during COP26 in Glasgow on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

Published: 4:03am, 14 Nov 2021Updated: 7:36pm, 14 Nov 2021

UN climate talks in Scotland ended with a global agreement that aimed at least to keep alive hopes of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius, and so maintain a realistic chance of saving the world from catastrophic climate change.

Alok Sharma, the conference chairman, banged down his gavel to signal that there were no decisive objections from the almost 200 national delegations present in Glasgow, ranging from coal- and gas-fuelled superpowers to oil producers and Pacific islands being swallowed by the rise in sea levels.

The deal came despite a last-gasp intervention from China and India seeking to water down language on fossil fuels in the summit’s text.

“I apologise for the way this process has unfolded. I am deeply sorry,” Sharma told the hall, drawing sympathetic applause from the many who spoke out against the Sino-Indian step.

Conference chairman Alok Sharma reacts as he speaks during COP26 in Glasgow on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

That turned to much louder cheers from the delegates when Sharma declared the climate agreement formally adopted, as attendees hugged and high-fived.

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