(The Guardian) Countries need to move faster in shifting away from the use of coal as rapidly growing solar and wind industries will not be enough to hit climate goals, the International Energy Agency has said.
In a special report on coal, the IEA called for “immediate policy action” to finance a move away from the fuel, particularly in emergency and developing economies.
There are about 9,000 coal-fired power plants around the world, which vary significantly in age, from an average of 40 years old in the US to less than 15 years in developing economies in Asia. The IEA said in a scenario in which current national climate pledges were met, output from existing coal-fired plants would need to fall by about one-third between 2021 and 2030, with 75% of it replaced by solar and wind. To hit net zero emissions by 2050 and limit global heating to 1.5C, coal use must fall by 90%.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sent countries in Europe scurrying back to coal to ensure the security of energy supplies this winter. In the UK, three large coal-fired plants have been put on standby, although a pledge to phase out the use of coal by 2024 still stands.
IEA executive director Fatih Birol said: Coal is both the single biggest source of CO2 emissions from energy and the single biggest source of electricity generation worldwide, which highlights the harm it is doing to our climate and the huge challenge of replacing it rapidly while ensuring energy security.
www.iea.org
In a special report on coal, the IEA called for “immediate policy action” to finance a move away from the fuel, particularly in emergency and developing economies.
There are about 9,000 coal-fired power plants around the world, which vary significantly in age, from an average of 40 years old in the US to less than 15 years in developing economies in Asia. The IEA said in a scenario in which current national climate pledges were met, output from existing coal-fired plants would need to fall by about one-third between 2021 and 2030, with 75% of it replaced by solar and wind. To hit net zero emissions by 2050 and limit global heating to 1.5C, coal use must fall by 90%.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sent countries in Europe scurrying back to coal to ensure the security of energy supplies this winter. In the UK, three large coal-fired plants have been put on standby, although a pledge to phase out the use of coal by 2024 still stands.
IEA executive director Fatih Birol said: Coal is both the single biggest source of CO2 emissions from energy and the single biggest source of electricity generation worldwide, which highlights the harm it is doing to our climate and the huge challenge of replacing it rapidly while ensuring energy security.
Achieving a swift reduction in global coal emissions is the central challenge for reaching international climate targets - News - IEA
Achieving a swift reduction in global coal emissions is the central challenge for reaching international climate targets - News from the International Energy Agency
www.iea.org
