Coal Consumption Reached an All-Time High in 2024: Implications for Global Clean Energy and Climate Goals

Global coal consumption smashed previous records in 2024, hitting an unprecedented 8.77 billion tonnes despite significant gains in renewable energy worldwide. This record, confirmed by the International Energy Agency (IEA), resulted from surging electricity demand, especially from emerging economies such as China and India, which faced exceptional heatwaves necessitating mass cooling. The absolute amount of coal burned rose sharply, even as its share of the global energy mix diminished—from 37% in 2019 to 34% in 2024—highlighting the immense challenge in limiting its use despite clean energy expansion.

India notably marked a milestone, surpassing 1 billion tonnes of coal production in a year—a statistic that underlines the persistent allure of coal: cheap, reliable, and easy to deploy for rapidly growing economies. While South Africa and the UK have undertaken systematic plans to reduce or eliminate coal from their power mixes, much of the world continues to lean on it for energy security and economic growth.

What is Driving Record Global Coal Use?

Heightened global electricity demand—especially during extreme weather events—plays a decisive role in driving coal’s rebound. China and India, home to the bulk of coal consumption, responded to exceptional heatwaves and booming manufacturing sectors with expanded coal generation, as their renewable infrastructures remain under rapid construction but cannot yet fully shoulder peak loads.

Despite government and international pledges to curb greenhouse emissions under agreements like Paris, coal remains a staple due to its low cost and abundant supply, particularly in regions lacking sufficient renewable capacity or affordable alternatives.

Energy Sector Emissions on the Rise

The coal surge contributed directly to increased energy-related CO₂ emissions, compounding concerns about the world’s ability to meet its climate commitments. In 2024, global greenhouse gases rose by roughly 0.65 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent annually compared to historical averages. As per the Paris Agreement, global emissions need to drop 43% by 2030 to avoid exceeding 1.5°C warming, but coal trends threaten to derail progress.

How Renewables Are Responding and Falling Short

Even as wind, solar PV, and hydropower collectively gain ground and finally overtook fossil fuels as the dominant electricity source in some nations (notably the UK in 2024), the relentless climb of overall electricity demand means old coal plants remain active and new ones come online, especially in Asia. China leads clean energy investment, advancing solar and wind capacity at scale, yet its electricity market remains so large that renewable expansion is offset by coal use.

In developed economies, renewables made historic contributions: for the first year, UK wind, solar, and hydro were responsible for 37% of its electricity in 2024, eclipsing the 35% from fossil fuels and marking the closure of its final coal power station.

How Does Record Coal Use Affect Climate Goals?

This coal resurgence imperils global efforts to cap warming and meet Paris Agreement goals. The World Resources Institute highlighted in 2024 that all major sectors—transport, energy, agriculture—are off track to achieve necessary emissions reductions by 2030, and the pace of coal phase-out lags behind optimistic pledges. With coal still generating about a third of global electricity, even minor increases in its use can overwhelm incremental gains made by renewables, threatening to lock in high emissions for years.

The UK and Europe Coal Phase-Out

Contrasting global trends, the UK completed its coal shutdown in 2024, joining other OECD nations in marking a major transition to renewables and lower emissions. UK renewables—driven by wind installations and falling costs for solar PV—now provide more than a third of the nation’s electricity, contributing to record low CO₂ emissions from its power sector. This successful transition is underpinned by robust government support, innovative solar PV and battery installations, and strong public engagement.

Solar PV and Battery Storage as Essential Solutions

In light of record coal use, investments in solar PV and battery storage emerge as vital for energy security, grid resilience, and decarbonisation. Atlantic Renewables is proud to offer UK businesses and homeowners state-of-the-art solar PV and battery systems tailored to reduce grid reliance and enhance clean energy contributions. Our engineers lead the way in best-practice installation, supporting faster transitions from fossil fuels and empowering energy independence.

Are Global Energy Markets Poised to Change?

Industry experts forecast a levelling off of coal consumption after 2024, as renewables catch up to surging demand, especially in China and other pivotal regions. Still, risks remain: fossil fuel investments, political backing (as seen in the US and India), and energy security concerns could stall the global transition if not coupled with robust climate policy and technology roll-out.

For the solar sector, this moment is a wake-up call—governments, businesses, and individuals must accelerate adoption of clean energy, battery storage, and energy efficiency improvements to prevent further climate and health damages from coal dominance.

Get in touch

If you want to reduce your reliance on fossil fuels and start saving with state-of-the-art solar PV or battery storage, contact Atlantic Renewables. Our team of experts is ready to guide you through every step—from tailored system design to seamless installation and ongoing support. Call us on 0161 207 4044 and take control of your energy future today!