Coal news and updates

Analysis: UK emissions fall again after record drop in coal use in 2015

The UK’s CO₂ emissions fell by 4.3% in 2015 on the back of the largest recorded annual drop in coal use, outside of a miners’ strike, Carbon Brief analysis shows.

The reduction would leave UK CO₂ emissions 31.5% below 1990 levels. The fall in coal use also takes UK consumption to its lowest level in records stretching back to the start of the industrial revolution.

The findings are based on Carbon Brief analysis of official government energy use figures released today. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) will publish its own provisional estimates on 31 March.

Coal crash

Coal consumption in 2015 was 22% lower than in 2014, falling to 38m tonnes (grey area, chart below). This was the largest-ever reduction, apart from those seen during miners’ strikes in 1921, 1926 and 1984 (red bars, below).

Each strike was followed by a large rebound in coal use, whereas consumption is expected to continue falling through 2016. Last year’s record fall also comes after an 18% reduction between 2013 and 2014, which is now the second largest reduction outside of strike years.

UK coal use is now down 41% in three years. When UK coal use peaked in 1956, the country was burning six times as much of the black stuff.

Source: Carbon brief.org