Release of the State of Climate Action Report
Last year, global coal consumption reached an all-time high.
According to The Guardian on October 22 (local time), international climate organizations such as the Systems Change Lab released the "State of Climate Action 2025" report on this day, which included these findings.
The report states that despite the rapid expansion of renewable energy use, coal consumption continued to rise last year. This is because overall electricity demand increased, especially driven by solar power, so coal consumption did not decrease. However, the share of coal in total energy consumption is gradually declining. The proportion of coal used for electricity generation fell slightly from 37% in 2019 and 35% in 2023 to 34% last year. In contrast, the share of solar and wind power rose from 13% to 15% over the same period.
The report explains that, in the long term, in order to keep the global temperature increase within the 1.5 degrees Celsius target set by the international community, net carbon emissions must be reduced to zero. This means that the use of fossil fuels such as coal and oil needs to be further reduced. In 2015, 195 countries pledged through the Paris Climate Agreement (COP21) to make efforts to keep the increase in average global surface temperature within 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels over the long term.
"Trump's Policies Are Worsening the Climate Crisis"
Clea Schumer, a researcher at the World Resources Institute (WRI), warned, "Increasing the use of renewable energy is the right direction, but the pace is not fast enough," adding, "If coal consumption continues to rise, the 1.5-degree target will not be achievable."
The report cited the anti-renewable energy policies of the Trump administration in the United States as a negative factor that could exacerbate the climate crisis. The Trump administration previously announced that it would retaliate with tariffs and other measures against countries supporting the International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s 'net zero framework' to reduce greenhouse gases. At a cabinet meeting last August, President Donald Trump criticized countries adopting wind power, saying, "I want them to go back to fossil fuels." He also claimed at the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month that "climate change is the greatest hoax of all time."
"Solar and Wind Power Expansion Must More Than Double"
The report noted that the rapid growth of renewable energy is good news, and described solar power in particular as "the fastest-growing energy source in history." However, it emphasized that, in order for the world to reduce carbon emissions to the targeted level by the late 2030s, the pace of solar and wind power expansion must more than double. Building heating and steel production were identified as sectors with poor records in reducing carbon emissions. Meanwhile, the road and transportation sector is rapidly electrifying due to the recent increase in electric vehicle usage.
The report also expressed concern about the destruction of carbon-absorbing forests and wetlands. Last year, 8 million hectares (ha; 1 ha = 10,000 square meters) of forests were irreversibly destroyed, an increase from the 7.8 million hectares lost in 2021.
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