Search Climate Insights Directory

In 2024, the world commissioned the lowest amount of new coal capacity in twenty years (44 GW), though global capacity still saw a net increase of 18.8 GW. While the EU27 quadrupled its retirements and the UK closed its last coal plant, China and India saw record construction starts and proposals, respectively. Outside these two nations, development capacity has fallen for ten consecutive years. In Latin America, new proposals are nearly zero, though Brazil continues to provide significant government subsidies to keep existing plants operational despite the competitiveness of renewables.

The report tracks 170 public development banks (PDBs) holding USD 21.8 trillion in assets, finding that climate ambition is plateauing. Despite the need for a six-fold increase in global climate finance flows by 2030, fewer than half of the tracked institutions have pledged full alignment with the Paris Agreement, and the rate of new commitments is declining.

This document is a Japanese translation of an excerpt from the 'Boom & Bust Coal 2024' report by Global Energy Monitor and its partners. It tracks global coal-fired power plant plans as of April 2024, highlighting a contradiction where global coal capacity reached record highs in 2023 despite a general trend of shrinking development pipelines in most countries except China.

The document reports a growing trend of integrating nature-based solutions (NbS) and ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) into National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), noting that all analyzed NAPs include at least one such measure. While most NAPs identify biodiversity and ecosystems as priority sectors, only 53% reference a national biodiversity plan or strategy, suggesting a need for closer synergy between climate and biodiversity planning.

The report indicates that while global coal power is trending toward an end, the pace of phase-out is insufficient to meet Paris Agreement targets. China is a major outlier, with a surge in new plant approvals and construction that contrasts with a general decline in new projects outside its borders. In Japan, while new project scales are shrinking, operational capacity increased in 2022, and very few plants have confirmed closure dates.

The 2022 Climate, Environmental, and Energy Congressional Hearings Tracker catalogs hearings held by various U.S. House and Senate committees. The tracker covers a wide array of topics including the Inflation Reduction Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, electric vehicle infrastructure, methane pollution, and agricultural resiliency. It details the specific dates and titles of hearings across committees such as the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

The report finds that public financial institutions are lagging behind private counterparts in setting credible climate targets. While some Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) show leadership, national and subnational development banks, as well as institutions in non-OECD countries, have very few Paris-aligned or net-zero commitments. Key barriers include a lack of government guidance and insufficient accountability mechanisms within global coalitions.

The Climate Policy Initiative analyzed public climate commitments from over 350 private financial institutions across four sectors. While assets committed to net zero have grown to over USD 93 trillion, the report finds a significant lack of interim targets, detailed transition plans, and comprehensive fossil fuel phase-out strategies.

The report finds that while net zero commitments from private financial institutions have grown rapidly, reaching USD 93.3 trillion in assets, they often lack the interim targets, detailed transition plans, and specificity in regional or sectoral investment needed for genuine Paris alignment. It highlights a strong focus on coal divestment but a significant lag in phasing out oil and gas financing and addressing biodiversity loss.

The report tracks G20 nations' efforts to phase out coal subsidies, finding that despite a 2009 commitment, these governments continue to spend at least USD 63.9 billion annually on coal and have failed to fully document the extent of this support.