As COP26 agreements target the dirtiest fuel, the 'end of coal is in sight.'

Coal is the most polluting fossil fuel, and greenhouse gas emissions from its combustion constitute the single-largest source of global warming.

After Poland, Vietnam, Chile, and other countries pledged for the first time to phase out coal-based power generation and halt building new plants, the British government claims the “end of coal is in sight.”

In a statement released late Wednesday, the COP26's British hosts said the new signatories represent 190 nations and organizations pledging to stop using fossil fuels.

Coal is the most polluting fossil fuel, and greenhouse gas emissions from its combustion constitute the single-largest source of global warming.

Weaning the globe off coal is viewed as critical to meeting global climate goals, such as keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius (34.7 degrees Fahrenheit) to avoid calamity.

Signatories to the COP26 agreement, according to the British government, have committed to terminating all new coal power generation investment both locally and internationally, as well as fast scaling up clean power generation.

Coal power will be phased out in the 2030s for large economies and the 2040s for smaller ones, according to the participants.

"The end of coal is near," British business and energy secretary Kwasi Kwarteng warned. "The world is heading in the right direction, ready to put coal out of business and embrace the environmental and economic rewards of constructing a clean-energy future."