A Pathway to Reduce Global Emissions Faster

International Coal Use, Especially in Emerging and Developing Economies That Are Growing Exponentially, Is Increasing and Having a Disproportionate Impact on Climate Change

According to the International Energy Agency, total energy-related CO₂ emissions rose by 1.1% in 2023, reaching a record 37.4 billion tonnes, with coal combustion responsible for over 65% of this increase, adding approximately 270 million tonnes of CO₂ into the atmosphere.

While coal generation has dropped in the United States and Europe, the International Energy Agency (IEA) cites growth of coal use in China and other developing countries in Asia that is keeping coal as the largest source of power generation (34% share of global power generation in 2023). Despite record coal plant retirements in the United States and the European Union, production in China alone is offsetting these retirements, according to a Global Energy Monitor report.

The report highlights key metrics that distinguish how China is impacting global efforts on coal reduction:

37.8 GW of coal plants retired in 2020
11.3 GW of coal plants retired by the United States, another 10.1 GW retired by the EU in 2020
38.4 GW of new coal plants were commissioned by China in 2020
While global new construction fell 5 percent in 2020 compared to 2019, when factoring China out of the equation, new construction fell 74 percent in 2020 compared to 2019.

It is estimated roughly 60% of electricity generated in China, India and Indonesia is from coal, with another 90 percent of new coal power plan development coming from developing economies mostly in Asia. Global Energy Monitor provides an illustrated map to showcase currently global coal generation and where its greatest development is taking place.

Natural gas has proven to be a gamechanger in reducing emissions in the U.S. – enabling the U.S. electricity generation mix to shift away from coal. According to the New York Times, the main reason emissions fell in 2023 “was that carbon dioxide pollution from America’s fleet of power plants dropped roughly 8 percent” as “electric utilities closed more than a dozen large power plants that burned coal, the dirtiest of all fossil fuels, replacing them with cheaper and lower-emitting natural gas, wind and solar power.”

Natural gas has proven to be a gamechanger in reducing emissions in the U.S. – enabling the U.S. electricity generation mix to shift away from coal.

According to the New York Times, the main reason emissions fell in 2023 “was that carbon dioxide pollution from America’s fleet of power plants dropped roughly 8 percent” as “electric utilities closed more than a dozen large power plants that burned coal, the dirtiest of all fossil fuels, replacing them with cheaper and lower-emitting natural gas, wind and solar power.”

Natural Gas Plays Major Role in Decarbonizing America’s Power Sector

A study from McKinsey found the shift from coal to natural gas for power generation between 2005 and 2022 “resulted in an estimated reduction of 532 million metric tons in CO2 emissions over the same period. This has been the most significant decarbonization lever, mitigating the equivalent of more than 10 percent of 2021 US greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This is more than double the mitigation of approximately 248 million metric tons of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent), which can be attributed to the increase in renewable generation.

Some Nations are Using Energy as a Weapon Which Threatens America’s National Security

As some nations move away from coal and nuclear power to other renewable sources like offshore wind, natural gas has been needed to support emission reductions and reliability. Yet, hostile actors like Russia are increasingly using energy as a geopolitical weapon to force desperate nations to concede to unrelated issues favorable to Russia. This has been exercised with gas shut offs to the Ukraine and with looming crises before the 2021-2022 winter season in Europe.

U.S. Natural Gas Exports Can Provide a Cleaner Environment, Global Security

A major solution to help curb carbon emissions, support American jobs, and provide global energy security is to export U.S. Liquified Natural Gas (LNG). The benefits of transporting affordable natural gas to developing nations and Europe allows new economies abroad to flourish, helps secure current energy grids from potential crises, and prevents bad foreign actors from withholding needed energy supply to our allies.

U.S. LNG exports are also a huge player in reducing global carbon emissions. A Western States and Tribal National Natural Gas Initiative study shows LNG shipped from the United States could account for a 42-55 percent reduction in net emissions if it is used to replace coal infrastructure in China, India, South Korea and Taiwan. The study accounts for all greenhouse gas emissions, not just carbon emissions, providing further proof of the monumental benefits export LNG will have worldwide.

Additionally, a 2024 study conducted by ICF finds U.S. LNG exports are likely to have represented a net reduction in the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to the mix of alternative fuels, primarily coal and oil, that would have likely substituted for the LNG exports had they hypothetically not existed in 2022.

In fact, the latest research finds that shifting from U.S. LNG to coal increases GHG emissions by 47.7% – 85.9%, while shifting from U.S. LNG to fuel oil increases emissions 24.8% – 41.8%.