'Moment of truth' as climate talks go into overtime

British officials chairing the United Nations' COP26 climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland, released new draft agreements on Saturday, a day after the official deadline passed.

Last minute negotiations continued into the afternoon, with host country Britain urging feuding delegates to compromise.

Negotiations intensified further over efforts to weaken language concerning ending coal use.

What is in the new draft?

The draft deal seeks to balance the demands of climate-vulnerable nations, big industrial powers, and those whose consumption or exports of fossil fuels are vital to their economic development.

The text urges nations to accelerate efforts to phase out unfiltered coal and "inefficient" fossil fuel subsidies.

The draft also attempts to unblock talks on finance, which have dominated the summit. 

Under the plan, wealthier countries would fund an organization dedicated to helping vulnerable countries that will be worst impacted by climate change.

After resistance from 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. 

It noted "with deep regret" that wealthy nations had also failed to stump up a separate annual sum of $100 billion (€87.3 billion) that they promised over a decade ago, but said only that it would come by 2023.

The text says nations will recognize "the need for support towards a just transition," a reference to calls from those working in the fossil fuel industry for financial support as they wind down jobs and businesses.

The draft text requested countries to come back next year with updated climate pledges.

The latest proposals need approval from the nearly 200 countries represented, who are working to keep alive goals set at a meeting in Paris in 2015 to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit).

The latest draft notes that scientists say the world must cut carbon dioxide emissions by 45% from 2010 levels by 2030, and to net-zero by "around mid-century." Only then will Earth hit the 1.5-degree target, a way to benchmark future climate pledges.

Alok Sharma, the British official chairing the talks, said he hoped countries would clinch an ambitious agreement in Glasgow by Saturday afternoon.

"I hope the colleagues will rise to the occasion," Sharma told the AP news agency as he walked into the conference venue.

COP26 president: 'Moment of truth for our planet'

Alok Sharma, the COP26 president for the British hosts, called on countries to sign on to the deal as negotiations dragged on on Saturday.

"I completely understand that parties sometimes have different priorities, and yet ultimately we have to sign up to the same agreement," he said.

Sharma stressed the urgency of coming to an agreement — not only because the talks stretched far past their Friday evening deadline — but also due to the mounting global dangers posed by climate change.

"This is the moment of truth for our planet, the moment of truth for our children and grandchildren," he said. "The world is willing us on to be bold, to be ambitious."

Campaigners say draft not enough 

"What's on the table is still not good enough,'' said Tracy Carty of Oxfam. "Here in Glasgow, the world's poorest countries are in danger of being lost from view, but the next few hours can and must change the course we are on."

Greenpeace International chief Jennifer Morgan told the AFP news agency 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.

Scientists say the world is not on track to meet that goal yet, but various pledges made before and during the two-week talks, which are now in overtime, have brought them closer.

Germany's 'passive' role criticized

Meanwhile, climate expert Jan Kowalzig has hit out at Germany for its lack of commitment to the goals of the COP summit.

In an interview with the German dpa news agency, he accused German politicians of succumbing to the interests of the powerful car industry.

Kowalzig, who works for Oxfam, said it was clear from the lack of willingness to join an alliance for the transition to emissions-free cars that Berlin was prioritizing the needs of big car companies.

The head of the German environmental organization BUND, Olaf Bandt, said he was worried about the Social Democrats' chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz's silence on decisive climate policies.

Scholz had presented himself as the "climate chancellor" during the run-up to September's elections.

But Bandt said the country's climate protection strategy was in urgent need of a "restart." 

mm, ar/fb(AP,  Reuters)