Coal news and updates

Countries that reached a landmark agreement to reduce emissions during the COP21 Paris climate meeting have stumbled in their efforts to translate their pledges into action on phasing out coal from their energy platforms.

 

As the momentum to implement the Paris agreement has slowed amid slumping economic growth, nations have faced domestic constraints to identify a clear path to phase out use of high-carbon sources of energy.

 

As Indonesia, the world’s fifth-largest coal producer, continues to struggle in dealing with land and forest fires, it has expressed its commitment to reduce its dependence on coal in its first nationally defined contribution (NDC) reported to the COP21.

 

Aiming to cut emissions by 29 percent by 2030 through its own efforts and 41 percent with international cooperation, Indonesia has pledged in its action plan to reduce energy supply supported by coal to a minimum of 30 percent in 2025 and 25 percent in 2050.

 

About 55.7 percent of the country’s energy derived from coal in 2015, while renewable sources such as geothermal and hydropower made up only 9.9 percent.

 

Indonesia has renewed its commitment at the COP22 Marrakech climate summit.

 

“The reduction scheme is already stipulated in our [national energy strategy]. We are looking for technological support to aid the reduction,” said Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar.

 

But in Marrakech, there’s an air of deceleration from other countries. The conference’s parties have decided to put the plan on the back burner, as many of the Paris signatories have yet to ratify or submit their national action plans.

 

As of Tuesday, 109 of the 197 countries had ratified the agreement, hampering the first meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement ( CMA1 ).

 

Germany, Europe’s biggest economy and the main initiator of the joint global agreement, is on the brink of breaching its green credentials after failing to submit a national action plan prior to the commencement of the conference.

 

The German government faced resistance from an opposition party over its national plan concerning its pledge to reduce the use of lignite, also known as brown coal.

 

Source:thejakartapost