Energy & Science
Coal Endures as World's Favorite Fuel for Electricity Generation
Rising demand in China and India is more than offsetting declines in the U.S. and Europe.
Freight wagons filled with coal line the railways tracks at the Port of Murmansk in Russia.
Photographer: Andrey Rudakov/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Coal consumption is set to rise in the coming years as growing demand for electricity in developing countries outpaces a shift to cleaner sources of electricity in industrialized nations.
While use of the most polluting fossil fuel had a historic dip in 2019, the International Energy Agency anticipates steady increases in the next five years. That means the world will face a significant challenge in meeting pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.