the Japanese government announced plans to build 45 new coal-fired power plants in the next ten years, largely to replace expensive electricity from petroleum power plants. Japan has 140 coal plants of which 114 are classified as inefficient and as a result the government intends to shut these down by 2050 to meet its climate commitments. Europe In July 2014, CAN Europe, WWF European Policy Office, HEAL, EEB and Climate-Alliance Germany published a report calling for the decommissioning of the thirty most polluting coal-fired power plants in Europe. Austria Austria closed its last coal power plant in 2020. Belgium After the government denied a 2009 application to build a new power plant in Antwerp, the Langerlo power station burned its last ton of coal in March 2016, ending the use of coal fired power plants in Belgium. Denmark As part of their Climate Policy Plan, Denmark stated that it will phase out oil for heating purposes and coal by 2030. Additionally, their goal is to supply 100% of their electricity and heating needs with renewable energy five years later (i.e. 2035). Finland In 2019, Finland enacted a ban of coal use for energy purposes starting on 1 May 2029, ahead of the 2030 schedule discussed earlier. As of 2020, coal represented only 4.4% of electricity generated in the country. Finland is a founding member of the Powering Past Coal Alliance along 18 other countries. France The French government intends to close or convert the nation's last four coal plants by 2022. In April 2021 the Le Havre coal plant unit was shuttered. In December 2017, to fight against global warming, France adopted a law banning new fossil fuel exploitation projects and closing current ones by 2040 in all of its territories. France thus became the first country to programme the end of fossil fuel exploitation. Germany Hard coal mining has long been subsidized in Germany, reaching a peak of €6.7billion in 1996 and dropping to €2.7billion in 2005 due to falling output. These subsidies represented a burden on public finances and implied a substantial opportunity cost, diverting funds away from other, more beneficial public investments. In February 2007, Germany announced plans to phase out hard coal-industry subsidies by 2018, a move which ended hard coal mining in Germany. This exit was later than the EU-mandated end by 2014. Solar and wind are major sources of energy and renewable energy generation,