Coal remains a major component of global fuel supplies, accounting for 27% of all energy used worldwide and making up 38% of electricity generation. It plays a crucial role in industries such as iron and steel. But concerns about air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions cloud the future of coal. Coal 2018: Analysis and Forecasts to 2023 addresses these key questions and more:
- Do China’s policies to limit urban coal use to ramp up natural gas and renewables mean it is abandoning coal?
- Will the push for renewables in India lead to a peak in Indian coal demand?
- How significant will the growth in coal demand be in other parts of developing Asia?
- How likely is it that coal demand will continue to decline in the United States and Europe? Will this trend spread to other parts of the world?
- Will robust demand and high prices for seaborne coal lead to new investment in coal mining?
This year’s annual IEA coal market report also presents recent trends and the IEA’s
five-year forecasts for global coal supply, demand, and trade.
