The world wants to use less coal, but it really is breaking records

Using less coal, preventing methane leakage and generating more renewable energy: these are three recurring themes at climate summits. Representatives from almost 200 countries are currently meeting again in the Azerbaijani capital Baku. But what became of previous ambitions, plans and promises?

For example, in 2021, countries agreed to ‘reduce’ their coal use. And last year in Dubai they promised to ‘move away’ from fossil fuels.

But last year the world used a record amount of coal. And that will not change this year, the International Energy Agency (IEA) expects. The world now uses 8.7 billion tonnes of coal each year. Every day that is a measure that is as big as more than 3,500 Erasmus bridges.

Western countries have been using less coal regularly to produce electricity in recent years. Last year, OECD countries burned half as much as they did at their peak, according to a British study.

In Europe, wind and solar power in particular gained ground, in part because power stations have to pay to emit CO2. In the United States, coal could not compete with gas (shale).

But this decline was largely offset in Asia. China and India in particular, but also Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines, use more coal than before. Their economies use more energy each year, unlike Europe.

“For countries like India and China, the choice of coal is an energy security issue,” said Jilles van den Beukel, an energy analyst at The Hague Center for Strategic Studies (HCSS). “They do it locally and at low cost. In this way they guarantee a reasonable price and the security of their energy.”

Asia now uses more than 80 percent of all coal worldwide, and China more than half.

China is investing heavily in green technology. For example, last year the country installed more than half of the new solar panels worldwide.

The rise in ‘green’ technology is attractive to China because the technology is often produced by Chinese companies, says Van den Beukel: “It’s a revenue model for their business himself. And it keeps them independent. “

Despite these investments, China is still building coal-fired power stations. This is partly to replace old power stations. But even with the huge investments, China has not always been able to meet the growing demand for electricity, says Detlef van Vuuren, a climate researcher at the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency.

There are various reasons for this, Van Vuuren heard from Chinese colleagues. China’s economy is still growing. But the rise of data centers for artificial intelligence and electric cars also increases power consumption.

A plateau in worldwide coal use is expected this year. The question is whether the use of coal will decrease after this. That largely depends on the pace at which solar panels, wind turbines and nuclear reactors are added. If countries increase their ‘clean’ electricity production faster than the increase in electricity consumption, this will depend on coal-fired power stations.

The question remains whether measures will be taken to abandon coal at the top of the climate in Azerbaijan. The main issue there is financial support from rich countries to help developing countries become more sustainable and to combat the consequences of climate change.