Coal still a burning issue? 'Phase down' pact was best outcome, says Bhupender

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav was, arguably, the face of India's 'resistance' during deliberations at the recent COP26 climate summit.

COP26 came to a close with 200 nations agreeing to 'phase down' the use of coal and other fossil fuels. ‘Phase down’ was terminology that was pushed by India and China. As with all things related to climate, the compromise attracted criticism from many sides.

In an exclusive interview in the latest issue of THE WEEK, Yadav rejected the notion that COP26 was a failure. He told THE WEEK “The COP26 was successful in alerting the world to the climate crisis and securing commitments from all towards ‘keeping 1.5 degrees alive’ and accelerated action towards mid-century global net zero.”

Yadav declared that the outcome of the summit “was the best outcome" from India’s perspective. Yadav revealed, “India’s demand to change the text—‘phase down’ rather than ‘phase out’ fossil fuels—was considered at the very last minute and it got support from 200 countries.”

Interestingly, Yadav's comments to THE WEEK came even as officials told media outlets that India had not introduced the 'phase down' terminology in the COP26 pact text.

The Times of India reported on Thursday that officials had said the term 'phase down' was taken from a US-China statement at COP26.

“It is not a term that India either proposed or tabled [for the first time]. It [term] was already there [in circulation], we simply accepted it,” a Ministry of External Affairs official told The Indian Express.

“Officials said India objected to the fact that only coal was mentioned and not oil and gas, which is primarily used by developed countries. That puts countries like India and China in the dock while providing a loophole for western countries,” The Times of India reported.

The latest issue of THE WEEK, dated November 28, hits stands on Friday (November 19).