Story perspectives
Record Coal Consumption Surges Despite Climate Goals Falling Short
10/25/2025
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Story summary
- Global coal consumption reached a record high in 2024, per the World Resources Institute (WRI).
- Coal's share of electricity generation declined, but overall demand kept coal use rising.
- India produced over 1 billion tonnes of coal.
- South Africa plans to reduce coal dependency from 58% to 29% by 2039.
- The report says climate action falls short of the 2015 Paris Agreement targets, despite gains in clean energy investment.
