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This report by Global Energy Monitor and various partners analyzes the state of global coal-fired power generation in 2025 and early 2026. It highlights a growing divergence where global coal capacity continues to increase—driven primarily by China and India—while actual generation decreases as renewables displace coal. The document details regional trends, noting that while Latin America has reached a 'No New Coal' status, several countries in the region are experiencing delays in planned plant retirements due to political pressure or energy security concerns.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), on behalf of groundWork and Earthlife Africa, submits a formal objection to Eskom's application for exemptions from Minimum Emission Standards (MES) for eight coal-fired power stations under section 59 of the Air Quality Act (AQA). The submission argues that these exemptions violate the constitutional right to a healthy environment, particularly for residents in Priority Areas, and that Eskom has failed to justify its 14-year delay in achieving compliance.

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.

This document is an appeal submitted by groundWork and the Vukani Environmental Justice Movement in Action against a decision by the National Air Quality Officer (NAQO) to grant Eskom a postponement of compliance with Minimum Emission Standards (MES) for the Kusile Power Station. The Appellants argue that the decision is unlawful, violates constitutional rights to a healthy environment, and was based on flawed health and atmospheric impact assessments and unfounded claims regarding the reduction of load shedding.

This government notice and accompanying Terms of Reference establish the National Environmental Consultative and Advisory Forum to advise the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment on applications for the suspension and postponement of compliance with Minimum Emission Standards (MES) and the issuance of Provisional Atmospheric Emission Licences (PAEL).

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing groundWork, Earthlife Africa, and the Mining and Environmental Justice Community Network of South Africa, submitted formal objections to the September 2021 Final Environmental Impact Assessment Report (FEIR) for the proposed Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone (MMSEZ). The CER argues that the EIA process is unlawful, procedurally irregular, and based on inadequate specialist assessments, concluding that the project's negative impacts on climate, water, and health outweigh its projected benefits.

This briefing by Global Energy Monitor analyzes the impact of China's pledge to stop building new coal-fired power projects abroad on the Asian energy pipeline. It argues that Chinese withdrawal, combined with similar pledges from Japan and South Korea, could reduce the pre-construction coal pipeline in Asia (excluding China and India) to 22 GW, most of which is unlikely to be completed due to financing obstacles.

This briefing examines the political and economic drivers of coal-fired power investment in 18 high-impact countries (HICs) with significant electricity access gaps, noting that international public finance dominates coal investment while domestic private finance leads in renewables.

The April 2021 report by Global Energy Monitor and partners tracks global coal-fired power plant plans, highlighting a divergence where a construction boom in China offset significant closures in the US and EU. While South and Southeast Asian nations are increasingly cancelling projects due to funding difficulties and renewable energy competition, China's capacity continues to expand, driven by provincial economic stimulus and central government deregulation.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing groundWork, Earthlife Africa, and the Mining and Environmental Justice Community Network of South Africa, submitted formal objections to the Revised Draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the proposed Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone (EMSEZ). The CER argues that the EIA is fatally flawed due to procedural unfairness, inadequate public participation, and significant gaps in specialist studies regarding climate change, water scarcity, air quality, and human health. The document asserts that the project's high negative environmental impacts likely outweigh its projected socio-economic benefits and that an environmental authorisation should be denied.

The Life After Coal campaign, comprising the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), groundWork (gW), and Earthlife Africa (ELA), submitted formal objections on 28 August 2020 against Eskom's applications for alternative emission limits at the Medupi and Matimba power stations. The campaign argues that these requests are an unlawful attempt to circumvent South Africa's Minimum Emission Standards (MES) and violate constitutional rights to a healthy environment.

This case study describes the first climate change court case in South Africa, concerning the environmental authorisation of the 1200MW Thabametsi coal-fired power station.

Boom & Bust 2020 is a report by Global Energy Monitor and partners analyzing global coal-fired power plant development in 2019. It details a general decline in the pipeline for new coal capacity, driven by financial restrictions and climate commitments, though this trend is countered by significant new capacity coming online in China.

This report by Global Energy Monitor and partners tracks global coal-fired power plant plans as of 2019. It highlights a general decline in new coal plans and construction globally, though China remains a significant outlier due to the completion of projects permitted years prior. The report details the shift in financing away from commercial banks toward public funding and examines regional trends across the OECD, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) wrote to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) on 17 February 2020, requesting updates on generation licence applications for the Thabametsi and Khanyisa coal-fired Independent Power Producer (IPP) power stations. The CER highlights significant delays since the March 2018 hearings and argues that the applications are now based on outdated information due to legal challenges, lapsed authorisations, and the withdrawal of bank financing.

A Global Energy Monitor report stating that China is driving global coal power expansion, with its capacity increasing by 42.9 GW between 2018 and mid-2019 while the rest of the world decreased. The report highlights that provincial-level approval surges (2014-2016) created a massive pipeline of projects that central government restrictions have failed to fully stop. It concludes that proposed capacity increases to 1,200-1,400 GW by 2035 would far exceed IPCC limits for keeping global warming below 2°C.

This report by Dr. Ranajit Sahu provides technical comments on the Provisional Atmospheric Emission License (PAEL) issued to Thabametsi Power Company (Pty) Ltd. The author argues that the PAEL permits the use of outdated, inefficient sub-critical Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB) technology and relies on flawed Atmospheric Impact Reports (AIRs) that underestimate pollution impacts. Sahu contends that the plant will exacerbate existing air quality violations in the Waterberg Bojanala Priority Area and that the license lacks adequate emissions monitoring and control requirements.

This document consists of a series of letters and a report summary from the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) addressed to the South African Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA). The CER, representing various environmental groups, argues that the Highveld Priority Area (HPA) has failed to improve air quality since its 2007 declaration. The CER demands the urgent implementation of regulations to enforce the 2012 Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP), the elimination of 'rolling postponements' for emission standards granted to major polluters like Eskom and Sasol, and a formal response to the 'Broken Promises' report regarding the ongoing violation of constitutional rights to a healthy environment.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), writing on behalf of the Life After Coal Campaign, urges FirstRand Bank to withdraw financial support for the proposed Thabametsi coal-fired power plant. The letter argues that the project is economically unnecessary, environmentally damaging, and legally precarious, contradicting the bank's own commitments to a lower-carbon economy.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) submitted comments to the South African Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) on June 15, 2018, regarding the operationalisation of the post-2020 mitigation system. The CER advocates for greater transparency in greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting, opposes the use of historical emissions for carbon budgeting, and argues against the inclusion of new coal-fired power stations in national energy plans.