India is working towards reducing its emissions intensity by 45 per cent by 2030 (compared to 2005 levels). Photographs by Meeta Ahlawat
Energy

With climate change causing unprecedented weather events, coal use to hit record-high this year

International Energy Agency has confirmed that use of coal to generate power has breached levels never recorded before

DTE Staff

In yet another cause of concern for global climate action, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has noted that the consumption of coal is set to hit record high this year.

IEA's observations are especially relevant for a developing country like India as despite government's attempt to diversify its sources of energy generation, reliance on coal still continues to be around 60 per cent.

Energy generated from fossil fuels (coal, lignite and gas) is expected to dip from 77 per cent of the total in 2024 to 56 per cent by 2030.

India's coal-fired power generation is expected to rise by an average of 2.5 per cent annually in 2024-2026.

Coal-fired stations are a health hazard to their local communities and beyond due to the pollutants they emit. The resulting illnesses are a significant cost to health budgets.