By the end of the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in November, negotiators felt a fragile sense of progress had been achieved. More than 80 per cent of the world’s emissions were covered by governments’ pledges to achieve net zero — that is, when the amount of greenhouse gases added to the atmosphere is equal to the amount taken out.
The summit had witnessed key agreements on deforestation, methane emissions and coal production. At least 23 countries made new commitments to phase out coal power, including in south-east Asia and Europe.