Phasing Out Unabated Coal
Current status and three case studies
Reducing global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to net zero by 2050 is necessary to
limit the long‐term increase in average global temperatures to 1.5 °C. Today, coal-fired
power generation is the largest single source of CO2 emissions. Therefore, tackling
emissions from this sector is critical to achieving our goal. National governments,
subnational jurisdictions, coalitions and many large corporations have announced coal
phase-out pledges and net zero targets. Ahead of COP 26 in November 2021, Phasing
Out Unabated Coal: Current Status and Three Case Studies gathers all known national
commitments to eventually stop using unabated coal-fired power generation announced
to date and assesses their impact in terms of reducing emissions. In addition, the
report analyses three jurisdictions in detail to extract recommendation. First, an
early example of coal phase-out commitment and execution from the Canadian province
of Ontario. Second, the case of the United Kingdom, where the industrial revolution
started but which was one of the first countries to decide to phase out coal. Finally,
Germany, where phasing out is particularly complex because it is the largest coal-fired
power generator among those committing to a phase-out and has thousands of jobs that
rely on lignite mining. This paper acknowledges that each country must tailor its
approach based on its own specific circumstances, but that nonetheless there are instructive
experiences from other jurisdictions undertaking similar measures.
Published on November 16, 2021