The IEA's Coal 2024 report suggests that the world is likely to see coal use plateau and perhaps decline this decade. Obviously this isn't definitive evidence that it has peaked already, but "no sign of peaking" goes too far.
Second, as the piece lays out, most countries that use coal for power are burning less coal now. That is, they've already peaked their coal usage with little evidence of it coming back. 65% of countries see coal declines. Some fully retired, like the home of the @financialtimes.com the UK.
When you see graphs with different scales, you have to pay attention.
And in this situation, like in so many, it's really China that is the main story. China's coal consumption slumped in the mid 2010s which led many/everyone to think about "post-coal growth." https://www.nature.com/articles/ngeo2777
The piece does a very good job diving into China -- going to Shanxi, a major coal producer, and talking with the right people -- David Fishman, Li Shuo @lishuoclimate.bsky.social , and others.
But I think it overweights evidence that coal use will continue to grow rather than decline, in China and globally. It includes a scary image of coal capacity, with additions larger than retirements. But a coal plant existing doesn't mean it burns coal. Chinese plants are running less often.
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https://www.ft.com/content/f6cc8bbc-9e45-4062-b216-37875b75d3cc
The IEA's Coal 2024 report suggests that the world is likely to see coal use plateau and perhaps decline this decade. Obviously this isn't definitive evidence that it has peaked already, but "no sign of peaking" goes too far.
https://www.iea.org/reports/coal-2024
And in this situation, like in so many, it's really China that is the main story. China's coal consumption slumped in the mid 2010s which led many/everyone to think about "post-coal growth." https://www.nature.com/articles/ngeo2777