China, India’s Coal Usage Delivers Energy Transition Reality Check

Global Coal Demand Predicted to Remain Strong

Global approvals for coal-fired power plants surged in 2024, reaching their highest level since 2015, driven primarily by demand in China and India, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). In China alone, construction began on approximately 100 gigawatts of new coal plants during the year. Despite environmental concerns, coal remains a primary energy source for many nations and accounts for 45% of energy-related emissions. According …

China, India’s Coal Usage Delivers Energy Transition Reality Check

Excavators unload coal from rail cars into a coal storage facility of a logistics company in … More Binzhou, in eastern China’s Shandong province on May 9, 2025. (Photo: STR/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images Global market consensus suggests that coal, regarded as the dirtiest of fossil fuels, has to go out first, and fastest, from the world’s power mix for a meaningful energy transition to a low-to-zero carbon future. In tandem, Asia’s …