The world’s three-largest coal producers will all hit production records in 2022
Coal use increases, but investment lags
High levels of demand are not translating into greenfield investments due to climate policies
Global coal use is set to have risen by 1.2pc in 2022, to a record high of more than 8bn t, according to the IEA’s annual market report on the sector. In China—the world’s largest coal consumer with 53pc of demand—a heatwave and drought pushed up coal power generation during the summer, offsetting a drag on demand from Covid-19 restrictions. India—the second-largest global consumer—saw consumption rise to 1.1bn t in 2022, with demand expected to increase again next year. “Government policies will be key to ensuring a secure and sustainable path forward” Sadamori, IEA In Europe, high natural gas prices led to significant fuel-switching to coal in electricity generation, as the growth
Also in this section
22 July 2025
Sinopec hosts launch of global sharing platform as Beijing looks to draw on international investors and expertise
22 July 2025
Africa’s most populous nation puts cap-and-trade and voluntary markets at the centre of its emerging strategy to achieve net zero by 2060
17 July 2025
Oil and gas companies will face penalties if they fail to reach the EU’s binding CO₂ injection targets for 2030, but they could also risk building underused and unprofitable CCS infrastructure
9 July 2025
Latin American country plans a cap-and-trade system and supports the scale-up of CCS as it prepares to host COP30
