ZapCarbon is delighted to have had a hand in the first ever Global Electricity Review with the great team at Ember Climate.
For the first time ever, the review provides an independent look at electricity production and consumption across the entire globe. What stands out is that that despite some rapid progress in renewables, coal still dominates the world’s electricity production. If we are to have any hope of meeting the 1.5’C climate change limits, we need to phase out coal very rapidly.
87% of the coal burnt comes from just 10 countries, yet none of these have yet committed to reduce coal in line with the requirements for meeting the 1.5’C target.
However it CAN be done, as the EU experience shows. European coal use fell a whopping 24% last year, with renewables and gas providing the difference, and wind and solar produced more electricity than coal for the first time.
However China is now responsible for over half the world’s coal burnt. Chinese policy will thus affect us all.
Rapid action is without doubt required. Very rapid.
Watch this space…
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