G7 nations commit to phasing out coal by 2035 but give Japan some flexibility

MILAN (AP) — Energy and environment ministers of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations have committed to phase out coal power by 2035. It marks the first time the G7 has explicitly referenced a phase-out. But ministers left flexibility for countries heavily reliant on coal. The Beyond Fossils Fuel campaign called the commitment vague in a likely bid to coax a commitment from Japan. Japan is the only G7 country without a coal phase-out date. Britain, France, Italy and Canada are committed to phasing out coal no later than 2030, and observers say the United States and Germany are taking big steps toward that date.