"Coal use hit a record high around the world last year despite efforts to switch to clean energy, imperilling the world's attempts to rein in global heating. The share of coal in electricity generation dropped as renewable energy surged ahead. But the general increase in power demand meant that more coal was used overall, according to the annual State of Climate Action report, published on Wednesday. The report painted a grim picture of the world's chances of avoiding increasingly severe impacts from the climate crisis."
"There's no doubt that we are largely doing the right things. We are just not moving fast enough. One of the most concerning findings from our assessment is that for the fifth report in our series in a row, efforts to phase out coal are well off track. If the world is to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, in order to limit global heating to 1.5C above preindustrial levels, as set out in the Paris climate agreement,"
Global coal consumption reached a record high last year even as renewable electricity expanded and reduced coal's share of generation. Rising overall power demand drove higher absolute coal use, increasing greenhouse gas emissions which continue to grow, albeit more slowly. The likelihood of avoiding increasingly severe climate impacts has diminished. Achieving net zero by 2050 requires electrifying more sectors and shifting electricity supply to low-carbon sources. Efforts to phase out coal are falling well behind targets, and some governments are expanding coal production and signalling continued support for fossil fuels, increasing the challenge of limiting warming to 1.5C.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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