Poland and Ukraine are increasing this year’s production of thermal coal, the most polluting fossil fuel, preparing for colder months as Europe grapples with an energy security crisis exacerbated by the war in Ukraine.

Coal use as fuel for thermal power plants must also decline if the world is to meet net zero emissions targets by the middle of the century, but since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the European sanctions on Moscow, the flow of Russian gas to Europe has decreased.

Poland, Ukraine Increase 2022 Coal Production to Weather Cold Months | Devamı>>>

Germany will significantly increase its use of coal to protect its energy resources before the winter months come, and Russia’s reduction in gas exports threatens the deficits in Europe’s largest economy.

The German government has stated that it will pass emergency laws to reopen coal plants that are not used for electricity generation, and will auction gas supplies to industry to encourage businesses to reduce consumption. This shows the depth of concern about possible gas shortages in Berlin during the winter months, while Russia has reduced the capacity of the main gas export pipeline to Germany by 60%.

Germany Activates Coal Power Plants to Prevent Gas Shortage | Devamı>>>

Herculean global action to roll back the economic carnage of the coronavirus is about to bump into a new problem: climate change. With as much as $15 trillion in economic stimulus on offer – an unfathomable 17% of global GDP – we’ll see spending on a scale that will affect the earth’s climate no matter what.

Most of the spending is being raised in China, the European Union and the United States, the big three global emitters.

Can Coronavirus Stimulus Get Us Off Fossil Fuels? | Devamı>>>

The European Union will need to continue having a nuclear energy share of at least one-quarter until 2050 to meet the emissions reduction targets it has set for that year, according to a new report from Deloitte.

The EU has set targets of reducing emissions by 40% compared to 1990 levels, and by up to 95% by 2050 – or net zero. An essential part of that plan will be phasing out the burning of coal, the highest-emitting fossil fuel which is still used heavily in countries such as Poland and Germany.

EU Needs 25% Nuclear Power To Meet Paris Climate Goals | Devamı>>>

The lukewarm response to the report of the commission set up to advise on plans for the elimination of coal use in Germany is understandable. The commission’s conclusions push the end of coal use out to 2038. The plan is cautious enough to have secured the support even of those members of the commission representing the coal industry and the main coal producing regions.

Criticism of the report has predictably come from groups such as Climate Alliance Germany and Friends of the Earth, which have said that the plan will not meet the Paris climate agreement targets, and that the phasing of the reduction through the 2020s needs to be defined in detail.

The End of Coal in Germany Could Come Much Quicker Than You Think | Devamı>>>