More than 40 countries are committing to shift away from coal, in pledges made at the COP26 climate summit, the UK government says.

Major coal-using countries including Poland, Vietnam and Chile are among those to make the commitment.

But some of the world's biggest coal-dependent countries, including Australia, India, China and the US, did not sign up to the pledge.

Signatories to the agreement have committed to ending all investment in new coal power generation domestically and internationally.

They have also agreed to phase out coal power in the 2030s for major economies, and the 2040s for poorer nations, the UK said.

Coal is the single biggest contributor to climate change.

"The end of coal is in sight," UK business and energy secretary Kwasi Kwarteng says.

But UK shadow business secretary Ed Miliband says there are "glaring gaps" from China and other large emitters, who have not committed to stop increasing coal use domestically. He also noted that there was nothing on the phasing out of oil and gas.