To get on track to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and limit global warming in line with the Paris agreement, coal use would need to fall sharply this decade. Already the planet may have reached temperatures 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, an indication that collective climate action is failing.
Global demand for coal is set to hit fresh records every year through at least 2027, International Energy Agency data show, overturning a previous estimate that it peaked last year, highlighting the challenges to limiting emissions that cause global warming.
The latest forecast from the IEA sees demand for coal rising to nearly 8.9 billion tonnes by 2027, about 1% higher than 2024 levels. That overwrites last year’s estimate that coal demand would begin a steady decline this decade. The reality could surpass the current estimate, as demand has consistently eclipsed the IEA’s predictions in recent years.
