October 23, 2025:
Global coal consumption surged to an all-time high in 2024, even as renewable energy sources such as solar and wind expanded at record rates, according to the latest State of Climate Action assessment.
The report revealed that although renewables captured a growing share of electricity generation, rising global energy demand ultimately drove higher coal usage — pushing nations further off track from their Paris Agreement climate goals. It warned that greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise despite unprecedented clean energy deployment, highlighting a widening gap between climate commitments and real-world progress.
“There’s no doubt that we are largely doing the right things, but we are just not moving fast enough regarding coal phase-out efforts,” said Clea Schumer, Research Associate at the World Resources Institute (WRI).
“We simply will not limit warming to 1.5°C if coal use keeps breaking records,” she added, noting the “cascading and compounding effects” of continued fossil fuel dependence.
The assessment cautioned that record-breaking reliance on coal poses a direct threat to limiting global warming to 1.5°C, as stipulated under the Paris Agreement.
While solar power was identified as “the fastest-growing power source in history”, the report stressed that annual solar and wind expansion rates must double to meet required emission reduction targets.
Sophie Boehm, Senior Researcher at WRI, acknowledged that political resistance in some countries remains an obstacle but emphasized that the global energy transition is irreversible, with emerging economies increasingly viewing renewables as the most cost-effective development pathway.
The report also raised alarms over accelerating deforestation, with more than 8 million hectares of forest lost permanently in 2024. It called for a ninefold increase in forest protection efforts to curb the climate and biodiversity crises, according to The Guardian.
These findings come just weeks ahead of COP30 in Brazil, where global leaders will face mounting pressure to enhance national climate plans and commit to more ambitious, time-bound strategies for coal phase-out, forest conservation, and renewable expansion.
By Ikram Hussain
