February 21, 2019 - The World Coal Association (WCA) believes that coal is a vital energy and strategic resource, essential to the world’s sustainable development and energy security objectives and that it plays an indispensable role in addressing energy poverty, supporting urbanization and delivering economically competitive energy to support modern economies in developed and developing countries.

WCA is the only body working at the international level to secure the long-term sustainability of the coal sector, bringing together stakeholders to help the industry respond to the challenges and opportunities it faces, encouraging innovation, and supporting members to be industry leaders.

The Paris Agreement commits signatories to ‘holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above preindustrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels’. The World Coal Association recognizes this objective.

Our position on the climate and energy has always been clear– we support a balanced approach that integrates climate and energy policy that works towards a low emission future. 

That is why many countries have recognized a role for low emission coal technologies in their climate pledges submitted as part of the Paris Agreement. WCA has long acknowledged the international imperative of action on climate change, particularly the importance of carbon capture, use and storage in meeting our climate objectives.