GLASGOW
Britain on Saturday urged compromise among feuding COP26 delegates as it touted a “balanced” package to help avert the worst effects of climate change in what is meant to be the Glasgow summit’s final hours.
COP26 president Alok Sharma told delegates from nearly 200 countries that a draft summit text attempted to reconcile yawning gaps between rich emitters and developing nations that have hobbled the fortnight’s discussions.
“Everyone has had a chance to have their say. I hope that colleagues will appreciate what is on the table,” he said, presenting a third draft text.
“While not every aspect will be welcomed by everyone, collectively, this is a package that really moves things forward for everyone,” Sharma added.
He added “it is my intention that we will close this COP this afternoon” — while allowing more time for haggling over technical issues.
After three nights of all-night negotiations that have blown COP26 past its scheduled finish of Friday, delegates are still trying to agree a deal to deliver greater emissions cuts and vital finance for vulnerable states.
The new draft text released by Sharma’s team urged nations to accelerate efforts to phase out unfiltered coal and “inefficient” fossil fuel subsidies.
Large emitters such as China, Saudi Arabia and Russia had tried to remove the mention of polluting fuels, according to delegates.
But after resistance from rich nations led by the United States and European Union, the draft text omitted any reference to a specific finance facility for “loss and damage” — the mounting cost of global warming so far — which has been a key demand of poorer nations.
The text noted “with deep regret” that wealthy nations had also failed to stump up a separate annual sum of $100 billion they promised over a decade ago. It urged countries to pay up “urgently and through 2025”.
Greenpeace International chief Jennifer Morgan told AFP that the language on fossil fuels “is far from what is needed but sends a signal — I dare countries to take that out of the text right now”.
“The US has to support the most vulnerable on the issue of loss and damage. They cannot avoid this issue any longer. Nor can the European Union,” she added.
“I would call on President (Joe) Biden to do what’s right, and support the most vulnerable in helping them deal with their losses.”
There was no immediate comment from the US, but EU Commission vice president Frans Timmermans denied that the rich world had turned its back on the countries most at risk.
“We have increased substantially our financial contribution, both in terms of the $100 billion but also in terms of the adaptation fund,” he told reporters.
“But if there is more we can do, we will certainly try and help.”The summit began with a bang as world leaders came armed with a string of headline announcements, from a commitment to slash methane emissions to a plan to save rainforests.Negotiations received a further boost on Wednesday when the United States and China — the two largest emitters — unveiled a joint climate action plan, although it was light on detail.
But current plans to cut national emissions, all told, would lead to 2.7C of heating, according to the UN, far in excess of the Paris target.
The latest draft COP26 agreement released Friday called for countries to accelerate “the phase-out of unabated coal power and of inefficient subsidies for fossil fuels”.
That was softer than the first version of the text, but observers said the inclusion of the fuels driving the climate crisis was an important step.
The text requested countries to come back next year with updated climate pledges.
New draft decision texts were expected on Saturday morning after the talks overran.
The stakes were outlined during a Friday “stock-take” session where countries could express their views on progress so far.
“For many of you it is not existential in the future, it is existential today,” US envoy John Kerry said. “People are dying today. All around the world the impacts are being felt, today
