Coal power generation in 2020 fell by a record 4% mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on electricity demand but this was far from what the world needs to achieve to be on track for 2050 net-zero emissions. The energy think tank, shows the drop in coal power reached 346 TWh last year, while wind and solar power generation rose by 315 TWh, or 15% above 2019 levels. Models from the International Energy Agency (IEA) suggest the annual decrease in coal power must be around 14% to make net-zero emissions possible by 2050. Almost 10% of the world’s electricity comes from wind and solar farms. Germany and the UK, with 33% and 29%, remain the leaders here, while major energy markets like China, the US and Brazil source 9.5%, 12% and 11%, respectively, of their power from these two renewable energy sources. The renewed growth in electricity demand, wind and solar power production will need to speed up significantly to ensure that coal remains on the slide, the think tank noted.
Rise in power demand of 2,536 TWh since 2015 has outpaced clean electricity growth, at 2,107 TWh, which has led to the consumption of more fossil fuels for power generation and higher emissions. Gas-fired power has jumped by 562 TWh and coal has contracted by just 71 TWh over the period. China was the only G20 country in which coal generation increased significantly and it accounted for 53% of the world’s coal-fired electricity. This was due to a sharp rise in demand. Meanwhile, the four largest coal-generating countries after China, all achieved drops in coal: India (-5%), the US (-20%), Japan (-1%) and South Korea (-13%).