Coal Demand Bounced Back in 2017 After Two Years of Decline: IEA

  • India and Southeast Asia are driving demand for fossil fuels
  • Investment in new coal power plants at lowest in a decade

Freight wagons laden with coal in Chandwa, Jharkhand, India.

Photographer: Prashanth Vishwanathan/Bloomberg
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

Demand for coal rose for the first time in two years in 2017 with China and India burning more than anyone else, a blow for environmental groups hoping to limit use of the dirtiest fossil fuel.

The International Energy Agency’s annual World Energy Outlook published on Tuesday indicates coal will remain a key fuel to provide heat and light through 2040.