UK joins Canada on effort to phase out polluting fossil fuel

Coal’s time has passed, the UK Government said as it joined Canada to launch a global alliance to drive efforts to phase out the polluting fossil fuel.

The Powering Past Coal Alliance, launched at the latest round of United Nations climate change talks in Bonn, Germany, warns of the urgent need to speed up the move away from burning coal to cleaner power sources.

More than 20 countries and states including Italy, France, Belgium and Mexico have joined and there are plans to increase membership to at least 50 by this time next year.

Campaigners welcomed the move, which they said was a “rebuke” to US President Trump, whose officials have tried to promote coal at this year’s climate talks.

The UK has confirmed it will phase out polluting coal power by 2025, and the British grid has seen coal drop to historic lows, including, in April, the first full day without the fossil fuel since it was first used to generate power in the 19th century.

UCJ, UNILORIN.