As part of the outcomes of the Conference of the Parties (COP29), 25 countries, along with European Union (EU) member states, made a binding and sustainable commitment to refrain from using coal energy.
Bloomberg reports that this commitment will be part of the next round of national climate plans and is the latest global pledge to reduce fuel use.
According to a statement released at the conclusion of COP29, the signatories of the agreement, which was determined during the ongoing climate talks at COP29 in Baku, include Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
This announcement comes at a time when the United States, the European Union, and others urged countries at the Azerbaijan summit to reaffirm and implement the agreement launched at the COP28 conference to transition away from fossil fuels.
The Azerbaijani agency "AzerTag" revealed that nations such as the United States and India did not sign this new commitment to abandon coal energy in the future.
The European climate commissioner, Wopke Hoekstra, said in a statement about the new pledge: "A large majority of countries have already turned their backs on coal energy, opting instead for affordable, reliable, and clean energy, but coal energy is still growing globally." He added, "Coal energy is one of the biggest threats to keeping 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach."
Supporters of the new pledge will pressure other countries to make similar commitments regarding coal energy in the period leading up to next year's COP30 talks in Brazil.
The latest research says that coal power capacity grew by 2% in 2023, with China leading two-thirds of the added capacity.
Under the Paris Agreement, countries are required to submit new commitments by February to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, known as Nationally Determined Contributions, until 2035.
The new campaign demands that countries ensure these commitments include a pledge not to add new coal power to their energy systems.
Ten Turkish banks announced their commitment to not financing coal projects at the conclusion of the COP29 climate conference, with the aim of enhancing environmental sustainability efforts.
According to a report by the Turkish channel "Habertürk" and the Azerbaijani agency "Report," Turkish banks made this decision during their participation in the climate conference in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.
It is worth noting that 12 out of 17 banks operating in Turkey are striving to achieve the goal of reaching net-zero emissions, while 10 of them have confirmed their decision to stop financing any new coal-related projects.
