Commitments made to hold global warming to below 2°C, the threshold of dangerous warming, will be wildly breached if all planned coal fire plants are built, claims a new study by the Climate Action Tracker, which was presented at the Paris Climate Summit (COP 21). According to the analysis, 2,440 coal-fired power stations are in the pipeline to be built around the world before 2030; added to the power plants that exist today, if still operating in 2030, emissions from coal power would be 400% higher than level consistent with the 2°C target. The coal study looks at seven countries including India, China, Turkey, and the European Union; all have submitted their national carbon cutting commitments (INDCs), yet many, particularly the emerging economies, are pushing ahead with plans for new coal-fired power to meet rapidly increasing electricity demand. Higher emissions from the planned coal plants would threaten the achievements of the INDCs of eight of the nine countries.
Commitments made to hold global warming to below 2°C, the threshold of dangerous warming, will be wildly breached if all planned coal fire plants are built, claims a new study by the Climate Action Tracker, which was presented at the Paris Climate Summit (COP 21). According to the analysis, 2,440 coal-fired power stations are in the pipeline to be built around the world before 2030; added to the power plants that exist today, if still operating in 2030, emissions from coal power would be 400% higher than level consistent with the 2°C target. The coal study looks at eight countries including India, China, Turkey, and the European Union; all have submitted their national carbon cutting commitments (INDCs), yet many, particularly the emerging economies, are pushing ahead with plans for new coal-fired power to meet rapidly increasing electricity demand. Higher emissions from the planned coal plants would threaten the achievements of the INDCs of seven of the nine countries.