New COP26 draft agreement urges countries to scale up use of clean power generation, energy efficiency measures

In its new draft agreement published on Saturday, the COP26 climate summit held in Glasgow urged countries to rapidly scale up the use of clean power generation and energy efficiency measures.

The new draft -- which is in its third iteration urged countries to phase out coal and fossil fuel subsidies, "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," reported CNN

The language on fossil fuels has been watered down with each draft so far, and the latest one adds a reference to "the need for support towards a just transition."

That term refers to a country's need to ensure people do not lose livelihoods, access to power or gets left behind as the world begin phasing out coal, oil and gas projects.

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, reported CNN.

Negotiators failed to reach a consensus by Friday evening to announce a deal, triggering heated marathon talks.

COP26 President Alok Sharma had expressed optimism that a deal could be reached by 6 pm local time Friday (1 pm ET), but that self-imposed deadline elapsed with deep divisions remaining on key issues, including language on just how much the world should allow the Earth to warm, the future of fossil fuels and rules for carbon markets to avoid double-counting emissions reduction or "cheating" on credits.

But the most contentious issue centers on whether wealthy nations in the developed world should be obliged to set up an official fund to pay liabilities to poorer countries for climate crisis impacts, making COP26 one of many climate conferences characterized by a sharp divide between the developed and developing world.

Getting all 197 parties in attendance to reach a consensus on each and every word of the final agreement is a painstaking effort, reported CNN.

Beyond the simple divide between rich and developing countries are major coal, oil and gas producers showing opposition to an article that calls for the phasing out of unabated coal and an end to fossil fuel subsidies.

Sharma has said his main goal for the conference is to "keep 1.5 alive." The latest UN climate science report makes clear that the world needs to contain global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius to stave off worsening climate impacts and steer away from more catastrophic climate change.

Key elements of the previous draft appeared to at least move towards that. It requested countries to come back to the table by the end of next year, at COP27 in Egypt, with updated plans on slashing greenhouse gas emissions. That would be three years earlier than they are required to do now under the 2015 Paris Agreement, reported CNN.

( With inputs from ANI )