Latest additions to the Powering Past Coal Alliance signal growing momentum in coal-to-clean transition.
New York, NY, 19 September 2023, Colombia and Panama today join the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA), the coalition of national and subnational governments, businesses and organisations working to advance the transition from unabated coal power generation to clean energy.
Coming in response to the UN Secretary General’s call for countries to bring new, tangible, and credible climate commitments to his Climate Ambition Summit tomorrow, the two countries commit to halting the development of new unabated coal power plants and phasing out existing plants to keep the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5-degrees within reach.
As the world’s sixth-largest coal exporter, Colombia’s decision to join the PPCA represents a landmark moment in the global shift away from coal. The Government of Colombia will work with the PPCA to develop a plan for phasing out coal power generation, while protecting mining communities. This will have a positive impact on future generations.
Panama is already a carbon-negative country, but it seeks to further accelerate its clean energy transition by phasing out coal power generation by the end of this year. Through joining the Alliance, the country seeks to push for a faster transition across the world, building on its recent advocacy push on no new coal towards the G20 countries.
“As coal power is on the way to becoming a thing of the past, we are working to reduce the economy’s reliance on coal. We are diversifying exports, expanding the production of renewable energy and planning for a just transition of affected communities. Thanks to the technical and financial support by PPCA members, we will make further progress on coal phase-out at the COP”.
Omar Andres Camacho, Minister of Energy and Mines, Colombia
“Panama is a climate vulnerable country – shifting away from coal is a matter of survival for us. We are making progress, but the clean energy transition is still not fast enough to limit temperature increase to 1.5 degrees. Today, we commit to work together with others to increase ambition on coal phase-out in the lead up to COP28 and beyond.”
Dr. Jorge Rivera Staff, National Energy Secretary of Panama
Colombia and Panama’s commitments demonstrate the significant progress made on the coal-to-clean transition in Latin America and the Caribbean more widely. They mark the seventh and eighth Latin American countries to commit to coal phase-out and join the PPCA, after Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, and Chile. Nearly all countries in the region have already stopped planning new coal power plants.
“The PPCA has brought together a strong group of champions in the Latin American region, united in calling for a global exit from coal power and sending a powerful message before COP28 that we must bring a swift end to unabated coal.
“Their commitment shows how the world can move in the right direction. In the UK, coal is fuel of the past – it powered almost 40% of UK electricity just a decade ago, yet it will decline to zero by the end of next year.“
Graham Stuart, Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, United Kingdom and PPCA co-chair
“Today, we warmly welcome Colombia and Panama’s leadership. In a year where we are experiencing some of the most perilous impacts of climate change, their commitment to accelerate the transition away from coal strengthens our collective effort to accelerate the clean energy revolution!
The Powering Past Coal Alliance stands as a world-leading coalition that is not just talking the talk, but advancing real solutions to help countries chart the path off coal.
Joining the PPCA demonstrates not just the commitment of these two countries, but a growing momentum in Latin America and across the globe to transition from coal to cleaner, emissions-free energy.
The UN’s Global Stocktake shows we must all go further, faster to combat climate change. This year at COP28 in Dubai the world must take action and commit unambiguously to accelerate the phase out of unabated coal power.”
Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Canada and PPCA co-chair
The science is clear: to keep the 1.5-degree goal within reach, counties need to immediately end the construction of new coal power plants and phase out existing plants by 2030 in the OECD, and by 2040 elsewhere. This month’s UN Global Stocktake report shows existing national climate pledges are insufficient to keep the 1.5c target within reach. To find out more about the PPCA’s role in supporting countries as they transition from coal to clean power, visit https://poweringpastcoal.org/.
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Notes to editors
The announcement is taking place at a press briefing on Tuesday 19th September, 10.30-11am at The Plaza Hotel, New York as part of Bloomberg Philanthropies broader programme of events. Ministers and high-level officials representing the UK, Canada and new members are due to participate in the PPCA event. They will make short remarks followed by a Q&A session where you’ll be invited to ask questions.
For more information, please contact:
Anna Drazkiewicz, PPCA Communications Manager
00 32 487 32 45 62
anna.drazkiewicz@poweringpastcoal.org (in New York for the announcement)
Fiona Lavroff, PPCA Communications Officer
00 32 489 99 80 76
fiona.lavroff@poweringpastcoal.org (in Brussels)
