Coal has powered the world’s factories, heated homes and fuelled economies for more than a century, and usage driven by the power sector continues to rise despite global promises to kick the habit and save the climate.
As the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel and a big emitter of planet-warming carbon dioxide, several countries have pledged to quit coal, including Britain, which closed its last plant in September after 140 years of coal power.
Coal use must fall by 80 per cent from 2010 levels by 2030 to meet the global aim to hold warming to within 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times, in line with the Paris climate agreement, according to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Here’s what you need to know about burning coal, how it affects climate change and which countries are phasing out coal-fired plants.
Why is burning coal so bad for the planet?
Coal produces large quantities of polluting emissions when burned, including sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which contribute to respiratory illnesses.
It also releases carbon dioxide, which traps heat in the atmosphere, leading to climate change with impacts ranging from drought to wildfires, floods to tropical storms.
The power sector must be completely decarbonised in advanced economies by 2035, and worldwide by 2040, if temperature rises are to stay within 1.5°C, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Yet every year, about 15.5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide are generated by 2,000 gigawatts of coal power.
Which countries use the most coal energy and why?
While coal use has been gradually falling in recent years, the energy crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine saw global coal demand spike to a record high in 2022, rising by 4 per cent year-on-year to 8.42 billion tonnes (Bt).
More than half of the world’s top 100 polluting power plants in 2022, responsible for a disproportionate climate impact, are in China and India, according to satellite data from Climate Trace, an organisation that uses technology to track greenhouse gas emissions.
China is expected to reach peak coal in 2025, and has pledged to wind down coal over 2026-2030, while India has no plans to retire coal plants before 2030.
Shutting an industry that employs hundreds of thousands of workers, in both mines and plants, will be costly and complex.
Solutions for financing such a big transition include the Asian Development Bank’s Energy Transition Mechanism and the European Union’s Just Transition Fund.
But more money is needed to support developing countries as they transition, say climate finance analysts.
Which countries have managed to quit coal power?
From Austria to Belgium, many European countries have phased out coal power completely.
Greece and Britain were the fastest at phasing out coal power, followed by Denmark, Spain, Portugal, Romania and Germany, according to the World Resources Institute.
In Britain, which relied on coal for nearly two centuries, the last coal-fired plant closed on Sept. 30 in the Midlands, a key cog in the Industrial Revolution.
Outside of Europe, the fastest reductions were recorded in the United States, Israel and Chile, which is retiring coal plants early, replacing them with wind and solar.
According to the IEA, ramping up renewables, improving energy efficiency, cutting methane emissions and increasing electrification with new technologies could deliver more than 80 per cent of the drop in emissions needed by 2030.
Overall, countries with the quickest coal exit plans have high incomes, have small populations, lower electricity demands, and relied on coal imports and ageing power plants.
But even countries with large coal mining sectors, such as Greece and the United States, were able to reduce coal power.
What is a just transition?
A just transition would ensure that workers and affected communities do not pay an excessive price as their nations switch to a future that is free of fossil fuels.
The International Labour Organization defines it as “greening the economy” in a fair and inclusive way, and a switch that spawns decent job opportunities.
One example is via financial support.
For instance, Poland is due to get 3.85 billion euros (US$4.31 billion) in EU money, the largest slice of the bloc’s 17-billion-euro (US$19.05 billion) Just Transition Fund.
It aims to support Europeans most affected by the energy transition with retraining in renewable energy, unemployment compensation, and financial lifelines to coal-rich regions.
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