Latest additions to the Powering Past Coal Alliance signal growing momentum for action on coal phase-out at this COP
At the UN Climate Summit COP28 today, the United Arab Emirates, holder of the COP28 Presidency, and Malta joined 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.
The announcement provides a strong impetus for a formal agreement on no new coal and coal phase-out at the COP, which the PPCA and its members have been advocating for.
New PPCA members
The UAE has recently cancelled new coal power generation projects and stopped using coal in power generation in 2022. By joining the PPCA, the UAE sets an example for the rest of the world that there is no room for new coal power generation, and confirms its ambition as holders of the COP Presidency to drive forward actions on coal phase-out that urgently need to be taken this decade to get on track for the 1.5°C goal.
“Today I am delighted to announce that the United Arab Emirates has joined the Powering Past Coal Alliance. Since COP23, this Alliance has been a leader in driving global momentum to move beyond coal and towards cleaner forms of energy. The path to decarbonization must involve a transition away from unabated coal towards renewable energies. We are clear on the course of action needed and are determined that COP28 provides actionable solutions to enable progress.”
Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, COP28 President-Designate, United Arab Emirates
Malta phased out coal power in 1996, and is joining the movement to accelerate the phase-out of coal globally. The new commitments by the UAE and Malta take the number of new countries joining the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA) during this COP to nine: the United States, the UAE, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, Iceland, Kosovo, Malta and Norway. With these additions the Powering Past Coal Alliance now counts 59 countries, over a quarter of the world’s governments and 84% of the OECD and EU.
By joining the Powering Past Coal Alliance countries commit to not developing new unabated coal power plants and phasing out existing unabated coal plants to keep the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C within reach. The Alliance’s swelling numbers indicate the growing momentum at this COP to take action on coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel and largest single source of carbon emissions.
Global agreement on coal phase-out at COP28
This afternoon the Powering Past Coal Alliance is launching its call to include a commitment in the cover decision of the Global Stocktake to end unabated new coal and phase it out in line with 1.5°C. The IPCC and IEA have been clear that to get on track for 1.5°C we need to end new coal now and phase it out in the OECD and EU by 2030 and in the rest of the world by 2040. On Saturday 2nd December 118 countries signed up to the Global Pledge on Renewables and Energy Efficiency which alongside committing them to triple renewables and double energy efficiency globally by 2030, emphasised the need to stop investments in new coal power plants. The Powering Past Coal Alliance is calling for countries now to take this ambition from the COP stage onto the decision text page.
“The Global Stocktake decision should call for no new unabated coal power generation, which would send a strong signal that the nations of the world are serious about their effort to keep 1.5C within reach.”
John Kerry, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, United States who announced the US’s decision to join the PPCA earlier this week
“Coal power remains the single largest source of emissions globally. By joining the PPCA, the UAE and COP28 Presidency is sending a strong signal of support to accelerate the global efforts to phase out emissions from coal power and end construction of new unabated coal plants. I welcome the UAE’s leadership on coal and look forward to working with them and other PPCA members to secure an ambitious energy outcome by the end of COP28.”
Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada and Co-Chair of the PPCA
“At COP28, there is growing global agreement that coal must rapidly be phased out of our energy systems. With 10 new members last week, and the United Arab Emirates and Malta joining today, our UK co-led Powering Past Coal Alliance is going from strength to strength, as more and more countries make the clear decision towards cleaner – and often cheaper – sources of energy. The task now is to keep up the momentum and turn these pledges into action, ending our discussions in Dubai with global agreements on no new coal and speeding up the phase-out – to keep 1.5C alive.”
Graham Stuart, Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, UK and Co-Chair of the PPCA
„The science could not be clearer: it is time to course correct and ratchet up our ambition to fulfill the promises of Paris. The first point of action is the end of new coal and a just phase-out of fossil fuels in line with 1.5 degrees. The GST decision needs to provide roadmap the world is expecting from COP28.”
Jennifer Morgan, State Secretary and Special Envoy for International Climate Action at the Foreign Office of Germany
“To save 1.5, we need a fossil phase out from this COP. Coal needs to be phased out fastest, and oil and gas must be close behind. No new coal, no new oil, no new gas.”
Tina Stege, Climate Envoy, Republic of the Marshall Islands
–ENDS-
We would like to kindly invite you to the PPCA’s event at COP28, which will bring together PPCA Co-Chairs, the new members and other governments leaders to talk about the action they are taking to accelerate the phase-out of coal and urge all other countries to support a global agreement on these issues at the COP.
Date: 5 December 2023
Time: 17:45-18:45 GST (Dubai)
Venue: UK Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
More information about the PPCA’s presence at the COP here: https://poweringpastcoal.org/cop28/
We would also like to offer you an opportunity to interview spokespeople of the PPCA and its members. For more information, please contact:
Anna Drazkiewicz, PPCA Communications Manager, anna.drazkiewicz@poweringpastcoal.org (in Dubai from 3rd to 6th December)
