"Coal has powered the world's factories, heated homes and fuelled economies for more than a century - and usage driven by the power sector continues to rise despite global promises to kick the habit and save the climate.

As the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel and a big emitter of planet-warming carbon dioxide, several countries have pledged to quit coal - including Britain, which closed its last plant in September after 140 years of coal power.

The world has seven years left to rapidly scale down coal power from 36% of electricity generation in 2022, to less than 4% by 2030, in order to limit warming to the 1.5C set by the Paris Agreement, according to research organisation World Resources Institute."

Joanna Gill reports for Thomson Reuters Foundation October 17, 2024. [2]