G7 countries are hanging up their pickaxes and hardhats with lamp attachments as they prepare to dump coal as an energy source.
What happened: Member nations of the G7 (which includes Canada) have agreed on a plan to phase out coal power generation between 2030 and 2035. The agreement includes wiggle room for Germany and Japan, which still rely on coal for a quarter of their power.
Why it matters: Coal is so dirty — *audience response* “How dirty is it?!?” — that despite only generating ~36% of the world’s power in 2022, it contributed ~76% of total carbon emissions from the energy sector.
In Canada: The amount of coal used for electricity generation dropped 58% between 2010 and 2021, thanks to strict emissions restrictions. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick are the only provinces that still use coal for electricity — though not for long.
- Alberta has made the largest strides in cutting back. Last year, coal provided 4% of its power compared to 54% a decade prior. That share should hit 0% by the end of the year.
Yes, but: While there are plans for renewables or nuclear energy to take coal’s place, mostly it has been swapped out for other fossil fuels, natural gas in particular. Natural gas emits less CO2 than coal, but it certainly isn’t squeaky clean. Plus, if natural gas leaks even a little bit — a likely occurrence — then it becomes “as bad as coal,” per one expert.—QH