Global coal consumption rose by 2.6% in 2023 to a record high, according to data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) published Wednesday.
This follows a new record for global average temperature, attributed in part to the burning of fossil fuels like coal.
Electricity Production Drives Coal Demand
The increase in coal consumption, primarily in China and India, is mainly due to the significant expansion of electricity production, the report notes.
Burning coal for electricity generation or industrial use releases a large proportion of the CO2 responsible for global warming.
China’s Dominance and Future Outlook
China alone accounts for more than half of global coal consumption, the IEA points out. And “a major annual increase in China’s electricity demand, forecast at 6.5% in 2024, makes it unlikely that the country’s coal consumption will decline.”
India’s Surge in Consumption
In India, coal consumption “increased sharply” in the first half of the year “due to low hydropower generation and a massive increase in electricity demand caused by extreme heat waves and strong economic growth.”
This growth in Indian demand “is expected to slow down in the second half of the year, as weather conditions return to seasonal averages,” the IEA adds.
Decline in Coal-Fired Power in Europe
Conversely, electricity production from coal is declining sharply in Europe, where it fell by more than 25% in 2023 and “is expected to fall by almost as much again this year,” according to the IEA.
Contraction in the United States
Coal use has also “contracted considerably” in the United States, but stronger electricity demand and a slower transition to gas “threaten to slow this trend in 2024,” the report warns.
Global Coal Demand Outlook
“Our analysis shows that global coal demand is expected to remain broadly stable until 2025, based on current policy settings and market trends,” summarizes Keisuke Sadamori, Director of Energy Markets and Security at the IEA.
Record Temperatures and Coal Consumption
The figures unveiled by the IEA come against a backdrop of record-breaking temperature increases on the planet in 2023 and 2024. After an unprecedented year in terms of heat in 2023, June 2024 was the hottest June ever recorded since records began in 1940, and Monday, July 22nd, was the hottest day ever recorded, according to the European Copernicus network.