Politicians and climate campaigners like to talk of an “energy transition” in which the world is going to burn less and less fossil fuel, switch to clean (or cleaner) energy, and thus resolve climate issues.
But so far the “transition” is not so much about moving away from traditional fuels as about adding renewable energy sources on top of them.
Our latest episode of Power Struggle looks at the impact of world use of coal, which is still a prime source of energy — and growing. That’s bad, we agree, but some uses of coal are going to be hard to change.
Experts have been predicting “peak coal” for years but they’ve always been wrong. This year, global coal consumption is expected to reach an all-time high.
Some key points from our podcast with our Stewart Muir:
- The world burns over one million tons of coal every hour. That’s the weight of nearly 5,000 Statues of Liberty or 10 aircraft carriers, or about 247,000 adult African elephants. So make that 37,000 adult African elephants every hour.
- Coal energy has enabled millions of people in developing countries to better their lives, and their nations’ economies.
- India’s coal consumption went up 10% in 2024. And Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia and Pakistan are increasingly reliant on coal.
- China may have installed more renewable-energy sources, and may lead in electric vehicles, but China’s green-energy business is built on coal.
So, while we hail the energy transition, and applaud solar energy, carbon capture and more, we still need to talk about the 247,000 elephants in the world’s room — coal.
Clearly, without addressing coal’s persistent use, the energy transition will fail.
Catch this latest (13th) episode of Power Struggle on YouTube here: https://ow.ly/WiSw50UzX9F
And watch our previous episodes here: https://ow.ly/XK9350UzX9R
