In Coal Setback, Rich Nations Agree to End Export Credits
- OECD deal would end export funds for 85 percent of coal plants
- U.S., Japan land deal two weeks before Paris climate summit
Members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development struck an historic agreement Tuesday to scale back public financing for coal-fired power plants, dealing another blow to the industry ahead of a global summit on climate change in Paris.
Under the agreement, detailed by the White House in a conference call, the world’s richest economies will restrict subsidies that helped companies export technology to build coal-fired power plants, among the largest sources of emissions blamed for rising global temperatures. The policy would cut off financing for 85 percent of coal projects going forward, according to a senior administration official who briefed reporters. The official requested anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly.