2024-04-30 17:12:00
Rich, developed countries will stop using coal to generate electricity by 2035 at the latest. The G7 countries promise this following a two-day climate and energy consultation in Turin. At the climate summit in Dubai, almost all countries in the world pledged for the first time to ‘move away’ from fossil fuels, but there were no hard deadlines.
The G7 countries (US, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Japan and the EU) have now given concrete substance to that final declaration for the first time. “A historic decision,” British Energy Minister Andrew Bowie told an Italian television channel regarding the coal freeze.
The Netherlands has already stopped using coal
The commitment has no effect for the Netherlands, the coal-fired power stations here will close before 2030. But some G7 countries have so far had less ambitious or even no hard targets for phasing out coal-fired power stations. Japan in particular, where roughly a third of electricity is still generated from coal, has always been reluctant to make promises to end the use of coal. The US previously also did not set an end date for its coal-fired power stations. For Germany that was 2038, it now also promises more ambitious climate policy.
According to professor of climate policy Detlef van Vuuren (Utrecht University), the coal stop by the G7 countries is ‘good news’. At the same time, he thinks statements such as ‘historical agreement’ are exaggerated. “This agreement is a logical consequence of the agreement to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. The fact that rich countries stop using coal is one of the minimum things they have to do.”
Coal is the energy source that is the worst for the climate, Van Vuuren explains: “They alone cause twice as much CO emissions2 as gas. Burning coal is also less efficient, so the contribution to climate change is easily regarding three times greater than with gas.”
Stopping coal worldwide is therefore the first priority to limit global warming. But according to Van Vuuren, this is not possible quickly in many developing countries, partly because there is often a lack of affordable alternatives. “It is good that rich countries are finally setting a good example.”
Red flags
NGOs are more critical of the G7 decision. For example, Romain Ioualalen of environmental organization Oil Change International states that “rich countries had a chance to keep 1.5 degrees within reach, but have failed.” In his opinion, the eleven-year term is far too long. “That should have been 2030.” The International Energy Agency (IEA) also says that rich countries must stop using coal by 2030 to achieve the 1.5-degree target.
Ioualalen also warns of loopholes in the text of the G7 countries. In this way, countries essentially promise to stop unabated (unrestrained) coal-fired power stations. That word is a “red flag,” Ioualalen warns, probably added to get Japan on board.
The bottom line is that countries may still be able to build coal-fired power stations if they apply techniques that reduce their emissions. The danger is that there is no clear definition of this. “Japan is known to consider ammonia techniques abatedwhile they have little effect on the climate.”
More clean energy
The G7 consultation also discussed other ways to implement the decision of the climate summit in Dubai. Ioualalen is even more disappointed regarding that. For example, the G7 states that due to the conflict with Russia it may be ‘appropriate’ to invest additional money in the gas sector. The G7 also emphasizes the importance of the import of liquefied gas. “Scandalous, following a climate summit where countries promised to move away from oil and gas.”
The G7 countries also discussed how to accelerate the deployment of clean energy. In Dubai, countries worldwide already pledged to triple the total amount of renewable energy by 2030, and to double energy efficiency.
The G7 countries are now presenting a new goal, on batteries and energy storage. This total capacity must increase sixfold by 2030, so that power grids can handle the growing amount of green energy. “That new goal is good news,” says Olof van der Gaag of the Dutch Association of Sustainable Energy. “Especially if it comes true.”
Also read:
‘Unabated.’ That word will make or break the climate summit
Will the world agree for the first time in Dubai to stop using fossil fuels? That chance is greater than ever, but probably with a big disclaimer.
Dubai Climate Summit marks the ‘beginning of the end’ of fossil fuels
Countries in Dubai took a ‘historic’ decision. What will that result in concrete terms?
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