Coal demand is reaching an all-time high as countries recover from the coronavirus pandemic’s early lockdowns, a trend that jeopardizes worldwide commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to a report released today by the International Energy Agency.
Worldwide coal-fired power generation is “surging” toward an annual record this year, and global coal consumption may be “set to hit an all-time high next year,” according to the energy forecaster. Furthermore, while the pandemic was predicted to reduce the usage of coal-fired electricity, the actual reduction was significantly more modest than projected, according to the report.
Coal demand is reaching an all-time high as countries recover from the coronavirus pandemic’s early lockdowns, a trend that jeopardizes worldwide commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to a research released today by the International Energy Agency.
Worldwide coal-fired power generation is “surging” toward an annual record this year, and global coal usage may be “set to hit an all-time high next year,” according to the energy forecaster. Furthermore, while the pandemic was predicted to reduce the usage of coal-fired electricity, the actual reduction was significantly more modest than projected, according to the report.
Coal demand, including applications other than electricity generation, is forecast to rise by 6% this year. According to the report, this indicates it might hit new all-time highs in 2022 and remain there for the next two years.
According to the report, what is occurring in coal is part of a wider pattern in which governments embrace net-zero carbon emissions as a legislative objective but fall short when it comes to actually reducing greenhouse gases.
“In short, the data points to a rising gap between political objectives and aims on one side and the reality of the present energy system on the other,” according to the report. “This divergence has two apparent implications: climate objectives are becoming more elusive, and energy security is jeopardized since, although investments in fossil fuels are decreasing, financing for clean energy and technology is not increasing at a rapid enough pace.”
“This should be of concern to all stakeholders, not just politicians and industry.”
This trend line highlights a “urgent need for policy action” for governments to accelerate transitions away from coal, or else this trend alone may undermine the world’s chances of fulfilling the Paris Agreement’s aspirations, according to IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol in a statement. “Without strong and rapid action by governments to combat coal emissions — in a way that is fair, cheap, and secure for people impacted,” Birol added, “we would have little chance, if any, of reducing global warming to 1.5°C.”
According to the IEA, coal-fired electricity in Asia is to responsible for much of this development. Coal-fired power output in India is predicted to expand by 12%, while coal-fired energy generation in China is expected to increase by 9%, despite the nation recently declaring ambitions to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2060.
But it isn’t the only area where coal has made a comeback. According to the analysis, total coal consumption in North America is predicted to rebound by 16.1% year over year in 2021, with U.S. coal output expected to climb by 17.2 % next year and coal consumption in the European Union expected to rise by 11.5 %.
“Many nations’ pledges to achieve net zero emissions, such as China and India, should have very significant implications for coal — but these are not yet noticeable in our near-term forecast, reflecting the significant gap between ambitions and action,” said Keisuke Sadamori, IEA director of energy markets and security, in a statement.
