COP26 Climate Deal Shows Fragility of New Emissions-Cutting Pledge

GLASGOW—U.S. climate envoy John Kerry helped win support at the United Nations summit for a deal this weekend that aims to accelerate emissions-cutting plans and asks countries to strengthen them again next year.

Hours later, Mr. Kerry underscored the fundamental weakness of the new agreement when he said the U.S., the world’s second-largest greenhouse-gas emitter, is unlikely to speed up its own reduction plan in a year’s time, arguing that it goes far enough.