A U.N. conference seen critical to averting the most disastrous effects of climate change launches amid acrimony on Monday after major industrialised nations were accused of dragging their feet on ambitious new commitments. The COP26 conference in the Scottish city of Glasgow comes a day after G20 big economies failed to commit to a 2050 deadline for halting net carbon emissions – a mark widely cited as a condition for preventing the most extreme global warming. Instead, their talks in Rome only recognised “the key relevance” of halting net emissions “by or around mid-century”, set no timetable for phasing out coal at home and watered down promises to cut emissions of methane, another greenhouse gas. “As citizens across the planet, we urge you to face up to the climate emergency. Not next year. Not next month. Now,” Swedish activist Greta Thunberg tweeted, asking her […]