Global coal demand hits record high in 2024

China is the locomotive of this market which emits a lot of CO2, followed by certain emerging economies such as India, Indonesia or Vietnam, according to the International Energy Agency, which nevertheless foresees a “stabilization”.

A record, while waiting for the recession? Global demand for coal has reached an unprecedented level in 2024, at 8.77 billion tonnes, the International Energy Agency (IEA) announced on Wednesday, December 18, while this year will be the first beyond of the threshold of 1.5°C of warming compared to the pre-industrial period.

China is a “key player” of this economy, because a third of the coal consumed in the world is burned in Chinese power plants. Demand for coal continues to increase in certain emerging economies, especially in Asia, such as India, Indonesia and Vietnam, in line with economic and demographic growth, underlines the IEA.

On the other hand, “global demand for coal is expected to stabilize in the coming years” due to the strong progression of renewable energies, writes the IEA in its annual report on coal in the world, which covers the period 2024-2027. In most advanced economies, coal demand has already peaked and is expected to continue to decline, the IEA says.

Since the 19th century, the average temperature of the Earth warmed by 1.1°C . Scientists have established with certainty that this increase is due to human activities, which consume fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas). This warming, unprecedented in its speed, threatens the future of our societies and biodiversity. But solutions – renewable energies, sobriety, reduced meat consumption – exist. Discover our answers to your questions on the climate crisis.