The divergence between the US’ (and Canada’s) falling domestic consumption and rising coal exports is “hypocrisy given the country's ambitions to become a global leader in energy transition and pollution reduction efforts.”EmberClimate.Rumours of coal’s demise as the world’s leading fuel source for power generation in developing countries are greatly exaggerated. Ditto for the false virtue signalling of countries such as the US and Canada that sell it to them. New data shows that rumours of net transition away from coal are not only a bit thick, but downright false.According to data from the US-based Global Energy Monitor, China accounted for 68% of all new coal generation that came online in 2023, 81% of all newly announced planned projects and 96% of all active construction projects.That comes despite commitments at the COP28 summit in Dubai last year to shift away from coal in favour of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. Little surprise, China’s coal output hit a record 4.66 billion tonnes in 2023, up about 3%, according to Reuters..But China is hardly the world’s biggest coal hypocrite; that title goes to both the US and Canada whose exports of thermal coal climbed to multiyear highs in 2023 even as their own consumption fell to the lowest in a century.American data think tank Ember called the divergence between the US’ falling domestic consumption and rising coal exports “hypocrisy given the country's ambitions to become a global leader in energy transition and pollution reduction efforts.”Coal use for power generation in the US has fallen about 58% since 2013 even as exports surged 20% last year alone. About 36% of US coal exports went to India, which rose 130% from 2022. India is the world’s second largest coal consumer after China, accounting for about 75% of its power needs.Back at home, coal in the US power mix fell about half over the last decade and presently accounts for abut 20% of its electricity. Canada, meanwhile, has vowed to eliminate it entirely by 2030..But there’s no shortage of hypocrisy in this country, either. At the highest levels.At 32 million tonnes, Canada’s exports were nearly the same as the US, accounting for a similar dollar value even after factoring in currency translation. About 83% came from BC and Alberta.The difference was that nearly half of Canadian exports go to China instead of India. Little wonder, federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault is listed as executive vice-chairman of the Beijing-based China council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development.The irony is that he sits on a Chinese environment NGGO linked directly to Chinese Premier Xi Jinping even as he pushes emissions caps back home.
The divergence between the US’ (and Canada’s) falling domestic consumption and rising coal exports is “hypocrisy given the country's ambitions to become a global leader in energy transition and pollution reduction efforts.”EmberClimate.Rumours of coal’s demise as the world’s leading fuel source for power generation in developing countries are greatly exaggerated. Ditto for the false virtue signalling of countries such as the US and Canada that sell it to them. New data shows that rumours of net transition away from coal are not only a bit thick, but downright false.According to data from the US-based Global Energy Monitor, China accounted for 68% of all new coal generation that came online in 2023, 81% of all newly announced planned projects and 96% of all active construction projects.That comes despite commitments at the COP28 summit in Dubai last year to shift away from coal in favour of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. Little surprise, China’s coal output hit a record 4.66 billion tonnes in 2023, up about 3%, according to Reuters..But China is hardly the world’s biggest coal hypocrite; that title goes to both the US and Canada whose exports of thermal coal climbed to multiyear highs in 2023 even as their own consumption fell to the lowest in a century.American data think tank Ember called the divergence between the US’ falling domestic consumption and rising coal exports “hypocrisy given the country's ambitions to become a global leader in energy transition and pollution reduction efforts.”Coal use for power generation in the US has fallen about 58% since 2013 even as exports surged 20% last year alone. About 36% of US coal exports went to India, which rose 130% from 2022. India is the world’s second largest coal consumer after China, accounting for about 75% of its power needs.Back at home, coal in the US power mix fell about half over the last decade and presently accounts for abut 20% of its electricity. Canada, meanwhile, has vowed to eliminate it entirely by 2030..But there’s no shortage of hypocrisy in this country, either. At the highest levels.At 32 million tonnes, Canada’s exports were nearly the same as the US, accounting for a similar dollar value even after factoring in currency translation. About 83% came from BC and Alberta.The difference was that nearly half of Canadian exports go to China instead of India. Little wonder, federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault is listed as executive vice-chairman of the Beijing-based China council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development.The irony is that he sits on a Chinese environment NGGO linked directly to Chinese Premier Xi Jinping even as he pushes emissions caps back home.
