(Illustrative photo by congthuong.vn)

After declaring an end to deforestation by 2030, the leaders of more than 40 countries around the world agreed on Thursday to phase out coal-fired power generation, raising hopes for an agreement to hold the increase in global average temperature below 1.5°-2°C over pre-industrial levels.  

Countries that use much coal-fired power like Canada, Poland, South Korea, Ukraine, Indonesia and Vietnam have pledged to phase out coal and stop construction of more coal-fired power plants by the 2040s at the latest, according to the Declaration on the transition from coal-fired power to clean power globally. In addition, about 20 countries and organizations have pledged not to finance fossil energy projects abroad from the end of next year.