G7 Ministers Agree to End Coal Use by 2030s, with Caveats
Energy ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) major democracies have agreed to end the use of coal in power generation "during the first half of (the) 2030s," according to an official communique. However, the statement includes an alternative goal of phasing out coal-fired power plants "in a timeline consistent with keeping a limit of a 1.5 C temperature rise within reach, in line with countries' net-zero pathways."
This caveat was included to accommodate Germany and Japan, whose coal-fired plants produce a significant portion of their electricity. Germany has set a final target to shut down coal plants by 2038, while Japan has not yet set a date.
The agreement on coal marks a significant step towards the goal set by the COP28 United Nations climate summit to phase out fossil fuels, of which coal is the most polluting.
The G7 nations also acknowledged the need to reduce Russian energy revenues to support Ukraine and pledged to work on transitioning away from imports of Russian gas. However, they did not agree on a common position regarding potential sanctions on Russian liquefied natural gas.