Smoke billows from the cooling towers of a coal-fired power plant in Ahmedabad, India, October 13, 2021. REUTERS

India`s environment and climate minister Bhupender Yadav said after discussions with other countries it has proposed new wording for the final agreement that would phase down unabated coal power instead of previous language to phase it out.

"Including escalating efforts to phase down unabated coal power, and phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies," he told delegates.

Shortly before the plenary began, envoys from the United States and European Union met with their Indian and Chinese counterparts to discuss the coal language, according to a member of the Indian delegation.

Immediately before the meeting, US special envoy John Kerry was overheard by Reuters telling his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua "You’re supposed to be phasing out coal over the next 20 years, you just signed an agreement with us."