Saturday, November 13, 2021
After two years of preparation and 13 days of tough talks, did negotiators at the U.N. climate meeting in Scotland save the planet? In short, the answer is no. But they were hardly expected to.
The annual conference is all about getting countries to gradually ratchet up their measures to defuse global warming. The focus of the Glasgow talks was not to forge a new treaty but to finalize the one agreed to in Paris six years ago and to build on it with further curbs on greenhouse gas emissions.
The targets are intended to keep warming within a range that doesn’t threaten human civilization. Major emitters will be asked to present new targets next year.
Almost 200 nations have accepted a compromise deal aimed at keeping a key global warming target alive, but it contained a last-minute change that watered down crucial language about coal.
Several countries, including small island states, said they were deeply disappointed by the change promoted by India on Saturday to “phase down,” rather than “phase out” coal power.
Nation after nation had complained earlier on the final day of two weeks of U.N. climate talks about how the deal did not go far or fast enough, but they said it was better than nothing and provided incremental progress, if not success.
______________
WTAX is a CBS News affiliate and we will continue to carry expanded CBS News coverage with limited commercial interruption when warranted.