Getting rid of fossil fuels at a climate summit is harder than you’d think

The most significant step came in last year's Glasgow Cop26 when countries reached a pained consensus supporting a phase down' of coal power

You could be forgiven for thinking getting rid of fossil fuels might be the easy point of agreement at a global summit to address the climate crisis. But you would be wrong. Instead, the issue has become a major point of contention as the Cop27 conference in Egypt staggers into its final stage.

Despite vast amounts of evidence from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, there has never been formal agreement at climate talks that the world should reduce fossil fuel use. The most significant step in that direction came in last year's Glasgow pact, which reached a pained consensus supporting a phase down of unabated coal power".