Despite the move toward clean energy sources in many countries, global exports of thermal coal — coal that's used for energy generation — hit a record high in 2024, according to Reuters.
What happened?
In the first 11 months of 2024, exports of thermal coal increased by 9 million metric tons compared to the same period in 2023. So it probably isn't surprising that coal-fired power generation rose by 2%, also reaching an all-time high. This means the pollution produced by coal-burning power plants also reached an all-time high.
Indonesia, the world's top exporter of thermal coal, exported more than 500 million metric tons in 2024, a record high.
Even the U.S., despite the clean energy projects introduced by the Biden administration, exported the most thermal coal since 2018.
Why is the rise in thermal coal exports concerning?
Of all the planet-overheating energy sources, coal is by far the worst — and the most deadly. The burning of thermal coal generated roughly 10 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution in 2024.
China accounts for 35% of all thermal coal imports, and even though the percentage of energy generated from coal is steadily decreasing, the total amount of energy generated from coal increased by 2%.
China and India, the two largest importers of thermal coal and the two most populous countries, rely on coal for 58% and 70% of all energy generation, respectively.
Globally, coal is used for over a third of all power generation.
What's being done about this?
While that might sound bleak, there is hope. Coal's use for energy generation in the U.S. has been cut in half over the last decade, down to less than 15% of the electricity produced. It's projected to fall to about half that by 2050.
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On top of that, for the second year in a row, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan all imported less coal than the year before.
And despite China's growing use of coal, the country has become one of the world leaders in clean energy innovation, including massive projects such as the world's largest solar farm on the site of a former coal mine.
Many European nations are doing their part by continuing to make breakthroughs in wind energy, especially offshore wind farms and wave energy.
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