Coal and its emissions are a critical issue as the world contends with both the global energy crisis and the climate crisis. Coal in Net Zero Transitions: Strategies for rapid, secure and people-centred change is a new IEA special report in the World Energy Outlook series. It presents pragmatic, real-world guidance on how policymakers can achieve a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from coal without harming economies or energy security, outlining measures to finance energy transitions and address their social and employment aspects.

All long-term IEA scenarios that meet international climate goals feature a rapid decline in global coal emissions. Without this, it will be impossible to avoid severe impacts from a changing climate. However, the world is currently far from heading decisively in this direction. Renewable energy options are the most cost-effective new sources of electricity generation in most markets, but there are still multiple challenges in reducing emissions from the existing global fleet of coal-fired power plants.

This special report explores the options for the power sector and other parts of the economy where coal plays a notable role. It examines a range of policy and technology areas, including the potential for carbon capture, utilisation and storage. And it addresses investment and financing needs, taking into account the importance of ensuring reliable and affordable energy supplies and of tackling the social consequences of change.

Today, there are around 9 000 coal-fired power plants around the world, representing 2 185 gigawatts of capacity. Their age profile varies widely by region, from an average of over 40 years in the United States to less than 15 years in developing economies in Asia. Industrial facilities using coal are similarly long lived, with investment decisions set to be made this decade that, to a large degree, will shape the outlook for coal use in heavy industry for decades to come.

Coal transitions are complicated by the relatively young age of coal power plants across much of the Asia Pacific region. If operated for typical lifetimes and utilisation rates, the existing worldwide coal-fired fleet, excluding under construction plants, would emit more than the historical emissions to date of all coal plants that have ever operated.

Source: IEA