Over 40 countries agree to stop using coal at Glasgow Cop26 summit as part of move away from fossil fuels

OVER 40 countries have signed up to a global deal to abandon coal as an energy source at the ongoing Cop26 climate change summit in the UK although several major players including China and the US.

Given the acronym Cop26, the Glasgow summit, named Conference of the Parties has been called to fund a way to combat global warming and get the world to move away from using fossil fuels. As part of a bold initiative to cut greenhouse gas emissions and the global carbon footprint, a total of about 190 countries and organisations have promised to move away from using coal.

However, huge users and producers including the likes of China, India, Australia and the US did not sign up to the pact. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), promises made at Cop 26 would limit global warming to 1.8C.

Cop26 president Alok Sharma, said the end of coal is in sight but more work needs to be done. Scientists added that to keep warming limited to 1.5C by 2100, carbon emissions need to be slashed dramatically by 2030.

However, major oil and gas producers plans to continue mining and drilling and this could lead to global carbon dioxide emissions returning to pre-Covid levels. IEA president Fatih Birol, said the pledged extracted in Glasgow were a big step forward, adding, however, that much more is still needed, however.