As UK’s final coal energy plant closes midnight Monday, a 3rd of Organisation for Financial Co-operation and Growth (OECD) international locations at the moment are coal free, however main economies corresponding to Japan and South Korea proceed to have a sizeable share of coal energy of their vitality combine.
Coal energy globally nonetheless hit a brand new report in 2023 as the autumn in OECD coal energy was outweighed by rising coal energy in rising economies in Asia led by China and India.
The UK is the 14th of 38 OECD international locations to realize a coal-free energy system. Among the many remaining 24 OECD international locations that also have coal-fired electrical energy, 19 have seen coal energy era fall by no less than 30% from its peak in 2007, in keeping with evaluation by assume tank Ember.
“Solely 4 OECD international locations have seen lower than a 30% fall in coal from their peak, together with South Korea and Japan. Türkiye was the one OECD nation to set a brand new coal energy report in 2023. Among the many world’s richest international locations, who had been the primary to embrace coal and would be the first to maneuver away from it, the decline in coal energy is quickly accelerating,” it mentioned.
OECD coal era halved since its peak in 2007 OECD coal era peaked in 2007, and final yr reached half that stage for the primary time (-52%). Fast development in photo voltaic and wind was chargeable for 87% of the autumn in coal throughout this era. Consequently, coal era fell to only 17% of the OECD complete electrical energy era in 2023, down from 36% at its peak in 2007.
Progress is being made to part out coal energy throughout the OECD, and that can proceed all through this decade. Many at the moment are concentrating on a totally decarbonised energy system by 2035, which suggests not solely phasing out coal energy, but in addition phasing out the vast majority of unabated fuel energy.
“Coal energy is on its means out on the planet’s richest economies. It could shock some that the shift was not primarily to fuel, however relatively on to photo voltaic and wind. It’s encouraging to see mature economies now swap their focus to repowering their entire financial system with clear vitality, to finally shut the chapter not solely on coal, however on all fossil fuels,” mentioned Dave Jones, International Insights Programme Director, Ember.
