Global coal phaseout:
Tracking coal plant retirements
In order to meet the Paris Agreement goals and put the world on a pathway to no more than 1.5°C of global warming, all existing coal plants must be retired by 2030 in the world’s richest countries, and by 2040 everywhere.
Global Energy Monitor (GEM) estimates that over 140 gigawatts (GW) of coal power must be retired each year for the next fifteen years to meet this goal, the equivalent of about two coal plants per week.
Explore the data visualizations below for an insight into the status of the global coal phaseout.
A listing of the country level coal phaseout commitments and assumptions used are available here, as well as other recommended resources for the U.S., Europe, and beyond.
Globally, coal plants have retired at an average of around 35 years – generally higher in the US and EU and lower in Asia. The chart below shows what future capacity would look like if plants retired younger than 35 years, compared to the current trends.
More than half the countries with coal power have decreased or kept operating capacity flat since 2015, and almost all have reduced coal power capacity under development (construction and pre-construction) since 2015.
For an interactive breakdown of annual coal capacity added and retired by country, visit GEM’s Global Coal Plant Tracker dashboard.
Information on generation trends, as well as country-by-country statistics and summaries, are available via the Bloomberg Coal Countdown or Ember’s electricity explorer.