The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Johnson’s ‘delight’ at COP26 progress ‘tinged with disappointment’
The prime minister has said COP26 “sounded the death knell for coal power”, but his delight at any progress made at the Glasgow summit is “tinged with disappointment”.
Boris Johnson hailed the “truly historic” outcome of the summit, describing the agreement as “gamechanging”, but acknowledged not all countries were willing to meet the level of ambition expected by many.
He insisted the aim of keeping global temperatures from rising above 1.5C is “still alive”.
Mr Johnson said most of Western Europe and North America have been persuaded to pull the plug on financial support for all overseas fossil fuel projects by this time next year.
“And when you add all that together, it is beyond question, Glasgow has sounded the death knell for coal power,” he said at a Downing Street press conference last night.
“It’s a fantastic achievement and it’s just one of many to emerge from COP26.
“Ninety per cent of the world’s economy is now following our lead here in the UK by committing to net-zero, ending their contribution to climate change altogether.”
But he added: “Of course, my delight at this progress is tinged with disappointment.
“Those for whom climate change is already a matter of life and death, who can only stand by as their islands are submerged, their farm land turned to desert, their homes battered by storms, they demanded a high level of ambition from this summit.
“While many of us were willing to go there, that wasn’t true of everybody.”