26th United Nations Climate Change Conference: End of the fossil fuel era

For the first time in the history of the UN climate change conferences (COPs), the final declaration contains an agreement accepted by all countries on accelerating the global energy transition away from coal and on eliminating subsidies for fossil fuels. International climate policy has thus outlined a new economic model. Generally, past UN climate change conferences were about countries setting targets. Now, for the first time, this year’s conference (COP26) also addresses how to achieve them. Germany was among the frontrunners of the global agreement – both as a leading negotiator for the EU and as part of a new collaboration which will support South Africa in its phase-out of coal and which aims to serve as a blueprint for other partnerships of the kind.