G20 explores coal phase-out talks in October

The G20 will discuss a phase out of coal from power generation at the next leaders’ summit in October as a small number of countries resist setting a date for coal burn to end.

A “large majority of members agreed on the need of a credible timeline establishing phase out” at the meeting of G20 energy and climate ministers last week, the Italian presidency of the G20 said in a statement.

There was “prolonged and tireless discussion” on two policy goals, the presidency said. The first is to set a date to phase out unabated coal and the second is to stop international public financing of coal and phase out inefficient subsidies by a certain date.

“Despite the large majority of the G20 agreeing on the urgency of those two actions, unanimous consensus could not be reached at this time,” the Italian presidency said.

Attempts to strike an agreement will continue at the G20 leader summit in Rome on 30-31 October. This is just ahead of the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, where the joint UK and Italian presidency has put great emphasis on getting agreement on a timeline for ending coal-fired power generation.