Coal’s Peak Is Here. But Demise of Dirtiest Fuel Will Be Slow
- Consumption will start to fade next year, IEA report finds
- ‘The turning point for coal is clearly on the horizon’
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Global efforts to boost clean energy and rein in carbon emissions have had a clear impact on coal: consumption of the dirtiest fossil fuel is expected to peak this year.
Total consumption of coal will reach a record high of more than 8.5 billion metric tons this year, and then start a long, slow decline, according to the International Energy Agency. Demand is expected to slide to 8.3 billion tons by 2026, the agency said in its Coal 2023 report issued Friday.