BASINGSTOKE'S MP has said "words need to turn into action" after an agreement was reached to phase down the use of coal after two weeks of talks at the COP26 summit in Glasgow.

Maria Miller said the summit delivered "important progress".

But she acknowledged that the words must turn into action, and also said that India and China "have to reject a role for coal in their future".

Following a push led by China, and backed up by India, it was decided to change the language in the pact from accelerating the “phase out” of unabated coal, to “phase down”, a move that prompted angry responses from European and vulnerable countries.

Summit President Mr Sharma said it was a “first” to have coal commitments written into a UN climate text, but he conceded he had wanted the pledge to go further.

Taking to Twitter on Monday, Mrs Miller said: "COP26 has delivered important progress on what nations know needs to be done to change the progress of climate change - but those words have to turn into action - plus India and China have to reject a role for coal in their future."

But the final accord has come in for criticism, with shadow business and energy secretary Ed Miliband warning that “keeping 1.5 degrees alive is frankly in intensive care”, with a “chasm” between what was agreed in Scotland and what still needs to be done to slash emissions.

The former Labour leader told Trevor Phillips: “The task of the world is to halve global emissions over the coming decade, that’s by 2030, that’s what the scientists tell us is necessary to keep 1.5 degrees alive and the truth about Glasgow, despite some progress, is that the world is only probably about 20% or 25% of the way to that goal.”