coalatlas2015_web_151031-531301b844c8a363.pdf

The Coal Atlas 2015, published by the Heinrich Böll Foundation and Friends of the Earth International, provides a comprehensive analysis of the global coal industry's impact on climate, health, human rights, and the economy. It argues that coal is the largest single source of carbon dioxide emissions and that a global transition to renewable energy is necessary to avoid catastrophic climate tipping points. The report details the environmental destruction caused by open-cast mining, the severe health risks associated with coal combustion, and the systemic use of subsidies and lobbying to maintain the industry's viability. It also examines the specific situations in major coal-consuming and producing nations, including China, India, the US, Russia, and Germany, while highlighting the rise of the 'carbon bubble'—the risk of fossil fuel assets becoming stranded as climate policies tighten.

• Coal is the primary driver of global climate change, serving as the largest single source of carbon dioxide emissions. In 2014, it was responsible for 14.2 gigatonnes of CO2, representing 44 percent of all energy-related carbon dioxide emissions and over one-quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions.
• To maintain a global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius, approximately 88 percent of currently confirmed coal reserves must remain in the ground. This would require a drastic reduction in per capita coal consumption from 1.07 tonnes today to 80 kilograms by 2050.
• Coal extraction and combustion cause severe environmental and health damage. Open-pit mining destroys landscapes and contaminates groundwater, while combustion releases pollutants causing chronic bronchitis, asthma, and heart attacks. In the EU, coal power is linked to 18,200 premature deaths annually, with health costs estimated at nearly 43 billion euro per year.
• The coal industry is sustained by massive public subsidies and lobbying. Between 1990 and 2007, EU member states subsidized coal-related infrastructure by 200 billion euros. The industry uses political influence to slow the transition to renewables, such as the coal lobby's efforts in the EU to remove binding national targets for renewable energy expansion.
• The 'carbon bubble' refers to the financial risk that fossil fuel reserves will become 'stranded assets' as climate policies make them unburnable. Approximately four-fifths of listed coal, oil, and gas reserves are considered unburnable if the 2-degree limit is to be respected.
• Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is presented by the industry as a solution for 'clean coal,' but the report claims it is technically and economically unviable. Current technology only captures 85 to 90 percent of CO2, reduces plant efficiency by 11 to 15 percent, and lacks reliable methods to monitor or plug leaks in underground storage sites.
• China, the world's largest coal consumer, showed a turning point in 2014 with a 2.9 percent decline in coal consumption and an 11 percent drop in imports, driven by efforts to combat smog and an increase in renewable energy investments.
• India's energy strategy remains heavily reliant on coal to combat energy poverty and fuel economic growth, with a target of 1 billion tonnes of consumption by 2020. This has led to significant human rights violations, including the displacement of indigenous Adivasi communities and the use of child labour in mines.
• The US coal industry is in a state of decline due to the rise of cheaper natural gas (via fracking) and renewables. By 2015, approximately 40 percent of US coal-fired power plants had been retired since 2010.
• Germany's 'energy turnaround' is hindered by a continued reliance on lignite, the world's largest producer of which is Germany. Despite the growth of renewables, coal still provides 44 percent of Germany's energy, endangering its greenhouse gas emission targets.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (n.d.). coalatlas2015_web_151031-531301b844c8a363.pdf. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/coalatlas2015_web_151031.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. coalatlas2015_web_151031-531301b844c8a363.pdf. n.d. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/coalatlas2015_web_151031.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=coalatlas2015_web_151031-531301b844c8a363.pdf |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/coalatlas2015_web_151031.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternationalndcoalatlas2015web151031531301b844c8a363pdf, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{coalatlas2015\_web\_151031-531301b844c8a363.pdf}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/coalatlas2015_web_151031.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }