Countries must stop coal approvals to reach net zero – IEA

Transition is complicated in countries with high coal dependency because of remaining lifetimes of plants and expense of gas

An immediate halt to approvals for new unabated coal‐fired power plants is needed if the world is to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, according to a report from the IEA titled Coal in Net Zero Transitions. If operated for typical lifetimes and utilisation rates, the existing worldwide coal‐fired fleet would emit 330gt CO₂. This would account for two‐thirds of the remaining cumulative emissions budget of 500gt CO₂, consistent with a 50pc chance of limiting average global temperature warming to below 1.5°C. But far from declining, coal demand has been hovering at near‐record highs for the past decade. “Global coal use and emissions have essentially plateaued at a high level, with no definit