The Plan to Accelerate Coal Transitions
The PPCA Plan to Accelerate Coal Transition, developed under the COP30 Presidency Action Agenda, lays out concrete, actionable steps to speed up the shift from coal to clean power.
Major global progress has been made in the coal-to-clean transition since the Paris Agreement was signed over a decade ago, reflecting the economic, health and social opportunities that it brings. But at the same time, further action is urgently needed to implement the outcomes agreed at COP28 to accelerate the phase-down of unabated coal power as well as the broader transition away from fossil fuels. Strengthening this transition is not only a climate imperative but also a strategic opportunity to enhance energy security and build economic resilience through cleaner, more stable domestic energy systems.
Forming part of the COP30 Brazilian Presidency’s Action Agenda the Plan to Accelerate Coal Transitions aims to translate the COP28 pledge into real-world delivery. It assesses the key challenges and identifies existing policy, planning, and financing solutions that can be scaled up, as well as areas where international collaboration is needed to rapidly develop new solutions.
Farah Heliantina, Assistant Deputy for Acceleration of Energy Transition at Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Indonesia, and CTC Co-Chair said:
“The big theme in COP30 is to move from commitments to concrete action, and this plan is the embodiment of that. It outlines an actionable plan that can help address the broad range of challenges that coal-dependent economies like Indonesia face. This plan shows how we can move past coal and unlock the change and the upside that comes with it, including economic growth, energy security, and emission reductions.”
The Plan has been coordinated by the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA), co-chaired by the United Kingdom and Canada, and builds on two years of consultations with developed and developing countries, and financial institutions led by the Coal Transition Commission (CTC), co-chaired by Indonesia and France.
The 31 countries and organisations who provided feedback during the development of the Plan and are going to work together towards its objectives are:
Countries and governmental bodies: Canada, Chile, Denmark, Dominican Republic, European Commission, France, Germany, Indonesia, Marshall Islands, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom and Vanuatu.
Other Organisations: Asia Investor Group on Climate Change, Coal Asset Transition Accelerator, Climate Investment Funds, Climate Smart Ventures, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Energy Transition Council, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Global Renewables Alliance, Green Grids Initiative, IDB Invest, Imal Institute, Iniciativa Climatica de Mexico, International Institute for Sustainable Development, Presidential Climate Commission, Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Transforma, Vancity, and We Mean Business.
What the plan recommends
The plan aims to accelerate the coal-to-clean transition in the power sector in a just and orderly fashion, in line with the Paris Agreement, by identifying areas to scale up policy, planning and finance solutions. It assesses key challenges holding back progress: maintaining a secure and stable power supply through the transition, delivering just transitions through inclusive processes, securing financing and putting forward detailed national plans that reflect local contexts.
To overcome these challenges, the plan outlines three main pillars for action:
- Supporting governments to develop and implement strong enabling policies informed by their national circumstances;
- Scaling finance for the just coal-to-clean transition;
- Accelerating project pipeline development.
The plan sets out 13 practical actions to accelerate the coal transition in a timely, just and cost-effective way:
Second, efforts will be undertaken to increase finance for coal transition, with a focus on mobilising private capital at scale, given the scale of financing required (estimated at USD60 billion annually between 2022 and 2030 for emerging economies outside of China). The actions outlined within the plan focus on scaling up private and public finance as well as using innovative mechanisms to mobilise new sources of finance.
Third, work will be carried out to build on today’s coal retirement and repurposing projects towards a replicable global project pipeline. At COP30, the Coal Transition Commission released two technical reports that offer practical pathways to do just that: by identifying opportunities to scale the pipeline of coal retirement projects. As well as assessing the role of flexible operation of specific coal plants in emerging markets as a temporary measure.
PPCA’s contribution to the Roadmap to Transition Away from Fossil Fuels
The near-term solutions we have identified in the Plan to Accelerate Coal Transitions form the basis of our contribution to the Roadmap to Transition away from Fossil Fuels (TAFF), which Is being developed by the Brazilian COP30 Presidency.
This roadmap is a timely opportunity to increase international support for countries to plan and implement coal transitions that strengthen energy security, economic resilience and a safer climate. It can do so by connecting them to a decade of proven solutions, including those developed by members and partners of the PPCA, and strengthening the international cooperation to enable further progress in line with the recommended actions we have outlined in the Plan. Find out more about the roadmap here.