G20 coal impasse previews fraught UN climate summit

G20 environment ministers ended talks without agreeing to phase out domestic coal-fired power generation and funding for such plants abroad, a deadlock that foreshadows difficult negotiations looming for this fall's critical climate summit.

Driving the news: Officials who met in Naples, Italy, on Thursday and Friday could not find consensus language on the use and financing of the most carbon-emitting fuel.

The U.S., Great Britain and other countries are seeking commitments to end new coal power plant construction and phase out its use in order to limit the severity of human-caused...