November 22, 2024 - A coalition of 25 nations, primarily developed countries, has made a commitment to refrain from constructing new coal-fired power plants that lack carbon capture technology at the COP29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan. 

This bold move aims to inspire other nations to follow suit and accelerate the global phase-out of coal.

Key signatories to this pledge include the UK, Canada, France, Germany, and Australia, a major coal producer. 

While Belgium, having already closed its last coal-fired plant, is also a signatory, major coal-reliant nations like China, India, and the United States have not joined the initiative.

The commitment entails updating countries’ national climate plans to exclude new coal-fired power plants without carbon capture. However, it does not impose restrictions on coal mining or exports.

Given that coal combustion releases significantly higher levels of carbon dioxide compared to oil and gas, its continued global usage remains a pressing concern.

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Wopke Hoekstra, the European Commission‘s climate action commissioner, said: “The commitment to launch the transition away from fossil fuels must be translated into real action on the ground.”

Ed Miliband, the UK’s Energy Secretary, echoed this sentiment, calling for an immediate halt to new coal projects.

The participation of Australia, a nation with a newly ambitious climate agenda, was particularly noteworthy. Environmental groups like the Climate Action Network hailed the pledge as a crucial step.

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Other countries that have signed the commitment, developed in collaboration with the Powering Past Coal alliance, include Angola, Uganda, and Ethiopia.

Meanwhile, at the G20 summit in Brazil, Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto revealed that Indonesia intends to completely phase out all coal-fired and fossil-fuel power plants within the next 15 years.

To achieve this goal, the Southeast Asian nation will leverage its abundant geothermal resources and invest heavily in renewable energy. The government aims to install over 75 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity during this period.