On December 2nd, a number of nations joined the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA) – which now has 50 member nations in total – and pledged to phase-out their coal power.
John Kerry, the United States’ Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, said in a statement:
To meet our goal of 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035, we need to phase out unabated coal, and we urge the world to join us in doing so, while working to grow good-paying clean energy jobs.
Together with the Powering Past Coal Alliance, we will be working to accelerate unabated coal phase-out across the world, building stronger economies and more resilient communities. The first step is to stop making the problem worse: stop building new unabated coal power plants.
According to a press release from CCPA, the club explains their motives behind this:
These seven countries commit to not developing new unabated coal power plants and phasing out existing unabated coal plants to keep the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C within reach. The move underscores a rapid shift towards a coal-free future in many countries despite the energy crisis. The Global Stocktake at COP28 must be a turning point for international action on coal phase-out.
The United States has the world’s third-biggest capacity of operating coal plants behind China and India. Domestically, the US has not built a new coal plant in over a decade, and is on track to close more than half of its peak unabated capacity in the next several year. The Biden Administration has committed to create a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035.
The United States is also a committed supporter of countries round the world looking to transition from coal through the Just Energy Transition Partnerships, the Energy Transition Accelerator and bilateral engagement and support. They have been a leading voice in calls to end new unabated coal at COP28, the most urgent action that needs to be taken to get on track for 1.5°C.
With today’s announcements, the PPCA is further expanding its presence in Central Europe and the Western Balkans, where electricity production is still largely dominated by coal. The Czech Republic is the third largest coal user in the EU, with coal accounting for nearly half of its electricity production. In joining the PPCA, the Czech government has confirmed its commitment to phase out coal power generation by 2033. Kosovo, which gets 95% of its electricity from burning coal, has committed to work together with the Alliance to bring forward their 2050 coal phase-out date.
The Dominican Republic gets 10% of its electricity from coal and has committed to work together with the PPCA to develop a plan to phase it out. Cyprus, Iceland and Norway have no coal plants: Cyprus has never burned coal, Iceland has been coal-free since 1951, while Norway completed its coal phase out this year. Through their membership of the PPCA, they seek to push for a faster clean energy transition across the world and reinforce the ever-increasing momentum behind consigning coal to the past.
The science is clear: to keep the 1.5°C goal within reach, countries need to immediately end the construction of new coal power plants and phase out existing plants by 2030 in the OECD and EU, and by 2040 elsewhere.
Next year we will become one of the first major economies to eradicate coal power from our energy mix.
It is great to have 10 members joining the UK co-led Powering Past Coal Alliance. This will bring more countries together towards cleaner energy.
This is a huge win for cutting emissions and, ultimately, achieving net zero in 2050.
Claire Coutinho, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, United Kingdom
AUTHOR COMMENTARY
A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food.
Proverbs 28:3
Well, this sounds cute and all, but this isn’t going to work and it is just rhetoric. Sure, some nations might actually go through with this temporarily, just long enough to inflict even pain by siphoning cash from people’s wallets, and blowing up the grid, but it will not last relatively long.
Germany and the U.K. already had to capitulate on the green agenda stuff amidst their energy crunch they created because of the restrictions levied against Russia.
Furthermore, just a couple of months ago The WP reported that an EV battery plant in Kansas needed to be powered by a coal plant to make the batteries. SEE: Green With Irony: EV Battery Plant In Kansas Uses Up So Much Energy A Coal Plant Is Required To Power It
[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).
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The hypocrisy is just insane!
He is just a block head moron. He wouldn’t know a piece of coal from a rock. Let me guess; none of this will ever effect him in any way?! Sorry, but that dolt makes my blood boil!