Germany belatedly joins Europe's war on coal
Europe’s largest coal consumer illustrates a pathway for the remaining hold-outs
The growing number of European nations that have pledged to phase out coal from their electricity generation fuel mix highlights a growing consensus that burning coal is inconsistent with the climate targets in the Paris Agreement. The latest nation to make such a pledge—Slovakia, which in June set a phase-out date of 2023—took the total to 12. For most of these nations it was a relatively easy choice. Take, for example, the UK, the world's first country to do so, back in 2015, just before the Paris Agreement was signed. The then energy and climate minister Amber Rudd proclaimed the UK would phase out coal-fired power by 2025. Since then, for reasons of economics rather than direct mandate,
Also in this section
28 April 2026
Oil traders warning of $200/bl oil are wrong, and the market should be wary of proclamations that the impact of the oil shortage has only begun to be felt and a that a ‘harsh adjustment’ is coming—even for industrialised nations
28 April 2026
Restoring supply from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Iraq involves complexities far beyond simply adjusting operational controls
28 April 2026
Datacentres will guzzle power at a ferocious rate, but the impact on wider energy markets will be far more complex than previously thought
28 April 2026
The key energy player faces balancing regional routes, political complexities, and creating a clear strategic vision for energy security
