Climate talks soften stance on fossil fuel phaseout
By FRANK JORDANS
Associated Press
GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Negotiators at this year’s U.N. climate talks in Glasgow appear to be backing away from a call to end all use of coal and phase out fossil fuel subsidies completely. The latest draft proposals from the meeting’s chair released Friday call on countries to accelerate “the phaseout of unabated coal power and of inefficient subsidies for fossil fuels.” A previous proposal Wednesday had called on countries to “accelerate the phasing out of coal and subsidies for fossil fuel.” While the chair’s proposal is likely to undergo further negotiation at the talks, due to end Friday, the change in wording suggested a shift away from unconditional demands that some fossil fuel exporting nations have objected to.