Why more coal is being burned than ever despite carbon emissions warnings
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The world is set to use more coal than ever before, this year, because of high demand in Asia and despite the warnings over the harm that burning fossil fuels does to the planet, a report has said. Global demand for the fossil fuel is expected to hit a record 8.77 billion tonnes in 2024, and stay near that level for the next three years, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Wednesday.
Growth in renewables is forecast to drive down coal use in the longer term, but this year its impact will be more than offset by strong demand for the carbon-heavy resource in the two Asian giants. Demand in China, by far the world's largest coal consumer, is likely to grow by 1% in 2024 to reach 4.9 billion tonnes, nearly a third higher than in the rest of the world combined. The country is set to import 500 million tonnes, more than double the previous import record.
One in every three tonnes of coal used worldwide is burned at a power plant in China to cope with the country's enormous electricity demand, the report said. India is also expected to consume more coal than the EU and the US combined as demand in the Asian nation rises by more than 5% to 1.3 billion tonnes, a level previously only reached by China, the report said.
Elsewhere, coal has dropped to 35% of the global power mix, its lowest level, as strong growth in renewable power supply helps countries meet growing demand for energy, it said. Cyclone Chido: What we know about strongest storm to hit the French island in over 90 years.
