4 November 2021, Glasgow – An agreement at COP26 by world leaders and businesses to phase out coal power “falls spectacularly short” of what is needed to address the leading role played by the fossil fuel industry in causing the climate crisis.
Murray Worthy, Campaign Leader at Global Witness, said:
"This announcement falls spectacularly short of what this moment requires. An agreement that only tackles coal doesn't even solve half the problem - emissions from oil and gas already far outstrip coal.”
"The science is absolutely clear, all fossil fuels must be phased out if we're to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. A truly ambitious agreement on energy to put the world on course for 1.5°C would be a phase out of coal, oil and gas. This is a small step forwards when what was needed was a giant leap."
According to figures released today, in 2021, emissions from oil and gas were estimated to be 19.2 Gigatonnes of CO2, whereas emissions from coal were 14.7 Gigatonnes of CO2. Over the last five years, emissions from coal have already been falling, while emissions from gas are rising by over 2% a year.
We are calling for a rapid phase out of all fossil fuels, with a fair and just transition for workers associated with those industries.
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