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Saudi Arabia, Japan and Australia lobbied UN to change climate report - leaked documents

A huge leak of documents seen by Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ News shows how some countries are trying to change a crucial scientific report on tackling climate change.

The leak reveals Saudi Arabia, Japan and Australia are among countries asking the UN to play down the need to move rapidly away from fossil fuels.

It also shows some wealthy nations are against paying more for poorer states' move to greener technologies.

This "lobbying" raises questions for the COP26 climate summit in November when countries will be asked to make significant commitments to slow down climate change and keep global warming to 1.5 degrees.

The leaked documents consist of more than 32,000 submissions made by governments, companies and other interested parties to the team of scientists compiling the UN report and scientific evidence on how to tackle climate change.

Justin Rowlatt, the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ’s Climate Editor, has been sifting through the documents.

(Picture: Gas plant in Russia. Credit: Reuters)

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3 minutes