World Coal Use Keeps Growing Despite Climate Fears.
People around the world keep burning more coal each year. The International Energy Agency says this trend will last until at least 2027. This news hurts plans to fight climate change.
Coal use might reach 8.9 billion tons by 2027. Earlier reports thought coal burning peaked last year. But fresh data shows coal keeps growing strong, often faster than experts predict.
World leaders met in Glasgow three years ago. They claimed coal's end was near. Yet rich nations burn less coal as poor ones burn more. China leads this surge, picking coal because it costs less than other power sources.
Earth needs less coal to stay cool. The Paris Agreement wants countries to cut coal fast. But Earth may already be 1.5 degrees warmer than long ago, which shows that climate plans aren't working well.
Wind farms and solar panels are popping up everywhere, yet they can't stop coal's rise. More green power helps, but coal keeps growing anyway.
The energy agency watches these trends closely. Their expert, Keisuke Sadamori, says coal use might level off by 2027. But weather changes in China could change everything. China burns more coal than any other country.
Past predictions about coal often missed the mark. Real coal use in 2024 beat old guesses by nine percent. Europe and America burn less coal these days. But India and China make up for it many times over.
Big nations need cheap power to grow. By 2027, India and China will burn more coal than all of Europe combined, making fighting climate change harder.
Weather plays a big role here. When winds drop, or clouds block the sun, countries burn more coal. China alone might use 140 million more tons of coal just because of weather changes.
The story shows how hard it is to quit coal. Clean power grows fast, but not fast enough. Poor countries want cheap energy to grow, and coal still fits that bill.
People around the world keep burning more coal each year. The International Energy Agency says this trend will last until at least 2027. This news hurts plans to fight climate change.
Coal use might reach 8.9 billion tons by 2027. Earlier reports thought coal burning peaked last year. But fresh data shows coal keeps growing strong, often faster than experts predict.
World leaders met in Glasgow three years ago. They claimed coal's end was near. Yet rich nations burn less coal as poor ones burn more. China leads this surge, picking coal because it costs less than other power sources.
Earth needs less coal to stay cool. The Paris Agreement wants countries to cut coal fast. But Earth may already be 1.5 degrees warmer than long ago, which shows that climate plans aren't working well.
Wind farms and solar panels are popping up everywhere, yet they can't stop coal's rise. More green power helps, but coal keeps growing anyway.
The energy agency watches these trends closely. Their expert, Keisuke Sadamori, says coal use might level off by 2027. But weather changes in China could change everything. China burns more coal than any other country.
Past predictions about coal often missed the mark. Real coal use in 2024 beat old guesses by nine percent. Europe and America burn less coal these days. But India and China make up for it many times over.
Big nations need cheap power to grow. By 2027, India and China will burn more coal than all of Europe combined, making fighting climate change harder.
Weather plays a big role here. When winds drop, or clouds block the sun, countries burn more coal. China alone might use 140 million more tons of coal just because of weather changes.
The story shows how hard it is to quit coal. Clean power grows fast, but not fast enough. Poor countries want cheap energy to grow, and coal still fits that bill.