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Reclaim Finance argues that ENGIE's continued investment in fossil gas is incompatible with a 1.5°C warming limit and its own 2045 carbon neutrality goal. The organization calls on shareholders to vote against key strategic resolutions to sanction the board for failing to align capital expenditure with decarbonization goals.

The 2024 'Boom and Bust' report finds that while many countries are reducing coal capacity, global operational capacity grew by 2% in 2023 to 2,130 GW, driven largely by China. China's new coal construction reached an eight-year high, contradicting its 2021 pledge to strictly control new projects. Globally, only 15% of operational coal capacity is committed to retirement aligned with the 1.5°C goal. While construction outside China hit a nine-year low, new planning in India, Kazakhstan, and Indonesia remains a challenge, and captive coal plants are emerging as a persistent loophole.

The report highlights a contradictory global trend: while most countries are reducing coal construction and many are committing to phase-outs, global coal capacity increased by 11% since 2015, reaching a record high in 2023. This growth is driven primarily by China, which accounted for two-thirds of the 2023 increase. Outside China, new construction starts reached their lowest level since 2015. The report notes that only 15% of global operational capacity has a documented phase-out plan aligned with the 1.5°C goal. Regional analyses show significant progress in the EU and UK, though some countries lag behind 2030 targets, and a volatile situation in Sub-Saharan Africa where South Africa remains heavily dependent on coal despite an energy crisis.

The report finds that global coal capacity reached a record high in 2023, totaling 2,130 GW, driven largely by China. While new construction starts reached a nine-year low outside China, they hit an eight-year high within China. Only 15% of global operating coal capacity has retirement commitments aligned with the 1.5°C Paris Agreement goal. In Indonesia, the transition is hindered by the rapid growth of 'captive' coal plants for nickel smelting, a reduction in renewable energy targets, and a financial taxonomy that classifies captive coal as 'transition' activities.

The report finds that while many countries are reducing planned coal capacity, global operational capacity reached a record high in 2023, driven largely by China. It highlights a divergence between China's increasing construction and the decline in other regions. In South Korea, the report argues that current plans are insufficient to meet Paris Agreement goals and that continued reliance on coal, including ammonia co-firing, poses significant financial risks to the state utility and the national economy.

Global coal capacity reached a record high of 2,130 GW in 2023, growing by 2% (48.4 GW), primarily driven by China. While new construction hit a nine-year low outside China, it reached an eight-year high within China. Only 15% of global operational capacity is under a phase-out commitment. In Latin America, operational capacity is declining, though some countries like Brazil and Mexico face challenges with decommissioning timelines and legislative extensions of plant lifespans.

In 2023, global coal capacity reached a record 2130 GW, driven largely by China, despite a decline in new construction starts outside China. While 101 countries have committed to avoiding new coal, significant pre-construction pipelines remain in China and India. Central Asia is identified as a region moving against the global trend, with proposed coal capacity reaching 45% of its current operational capacity, led by Kazakhstan.

Global coal-fired power capacity reached a record 2,130 GW in 2023, driven largely by China, despite a general global trend toward reducing new coal construction. While the EU and UK are accelerating retirements, China's new construction capacity reached an eight-year high. Turkey continues to develop coal capacity, ranking eighth globally in capacity under development, despite significant local opposition and the cancellation of numerous projects.

The global operating coal fleet grew by 48.4 GW (2%) in 2023 to 2,130 GW, primarily driven by China. While many countries have reduced their coal pipelines or committed to 'No New Coal,' China saw an eight-year high in new construction starts. Outside China, new construction hit a record annual low. However, global operating capacity has grown 11% since 2015, and only 15% of current capacity has a retirement commitment aligned with the 1.5°C goal.

The report alleges that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) provided a $600 million loan to Indonesia's state-run utility, Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), which lacks a 'no-coal' clause and may be used to fund coal expansion, including the Java 9 & 10 project. This contradicts ADB's public climate pledges and its October 2021 Energy Policy. The report highlights the severe health and environmental impacts of coal in Banten Province, where the Suralaya Power Station operates, and criticizes the lack of financial transparency as loan proceeds are mixed into PLN's general account.

The report finds that global coal capacity reached a historic high in 2023, increasing by 48.4 GW to a total of 2,130 GW. While new construction starts reached a nine-year low outside of China, China saw an eight-year high in new starts. Only 15% of global operating coal capacity has commitments to close in line with the 1.5°C Paris Agreement goal. In Indonesia, the report highlights a surge in 'captive' coal plants supporting nickel smelting, noting that 27.5% of Indonesia's operating coal capacity is captive. Despite the US$20 billion Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), Indonesia's early retirement targets for coal plants shrank from 5.5 GW to 1.7 GW in late 2023.

The report finds that while most countries are reducing coal proposals, global operating capacity grew by 48.4 GW in 2023, primarily driven by China. It highlights a stark divergence between China's construction surge and a record low in new starts elsewhere, while noting that only 15% of global operating coal capacity has a Paris-aligned retirement commitment.

In 2023, Türkiye became Europe's second-largest coal-fired electricity generator, producing a record 118 TWh, with coal's share of total generation rising to 36%. This trend was driven by imported coal, primarily from Russia, which accounted for 73% of imports and 22% of total electricity generation. While solar capacity grew to over 12 GW, wind installations hit a 13-year low of 411 MW. The report notes that Türkiye's trajectory diverges from the EU, where coal generation halved since 2016. Despite a 2053 net-zero target, the National Energy Plan still forecasts new coal and gas capacity by 2035, and the report argues that rooftop solar potential (120 GW) remains underutilised.

The report by Trend Asia and Walhi Jambi opposes the planned PLTU MT Jambi 1 and 2 projects. It highlights that Jambi already experiences an electricity oversupply, with PLN's capacity at 2,415 MW against a demand of 1,333 MW. The document details the socio-ecological threats to local villages, such as Pemusiran and Lubuk Napal, including water pollution in the Sekamis and Selempado rivers and projected health costs of USD 640 million over 30 years for PLTU MT Jambi 1. It further notes that investors like China Huadian have reportedly withdrawn due to China's policy against building new coal plants abroad, and recommends the immediate cancellation of these projects in favor of renewable energy.

The report examines the proposed construction of the Jambi 1 and 2 mine mouth coal-fired power plants (CFPP), each with a capacity of 2x300 MW. It argues that these projects are unnecessary due to a significant electricity oversupply in the region, where PLN's generating capacity of 2,415 MW far exceeds the community's absorption of 1,333 MW. The document highlights severe social and ecological threats, including the potential for 1,100 premature deaths over 30 years from Jambi 1's pollution and the degradation of the Sekamis and Selempado rivers. It further notes that the projects are primarily designed to create a market for low-calorie coal rather than meet energy needs. Finally, it points to funding instability, specifically the reported withdrawal of China Huadian from the Jambi 2 project following President Xi Jinping's commitment to stop building new CFPPs abroad.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) advocates for the EPA to promptly finalize comprehensive emissions standards for coal and both new and existing gas power plants. CATF argues that these regulations are compatible with electric grid reliability due to built-in flexibilities and compliance timelines. The organization emphasizes that timely action is necessary to align with federal investments from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and to help the U.S. meet its Nationally Determined Contribution of a 50 to 52% reduction in carbon pollution below 2005 levels by 2030.

The report analyzes how the energy and transportation sectors drive air pollution in the U.S., noting that while the Clean Air Act has significantly reduced overall emissions since 1970, severe exposure disparities persist. It highlights that people of color and low-income populations are more likely to live in areas exceeding health standards, often near 'pollution hot spots' that current monitoring networks may miss. Through case studies in California, New Jersey, and Indiana, the document illustrates the specific health burdens—including asthma and cancer—borne by marginalized communities living near ports, incinerators, and coal plants.

The report finds that while Southeast Asia has increased its operating utility-scale solar and wind capacity by 20% since January 2023 to 28 GW, the transition is hindered by low construction rates for prospective projects and continued reliance on fossil fuels. Vietnam, the Philippines, and Thailand are regional leaders, but only 3% of the region's 220 GW prospective capacity is currently under construction. Despite these hurdles, the report suggests the ASEAN collective target of 35% renewable energy capacity by 2025 is attainable given existing capacity and pipelines.

The 2024 Toll from Coal analysis uses the U.S. EPA's COBRA v5.2 model to link emissions of PM2.5, SO2, NOx, and VOC from coal-fired power plants to health outcomes and economic damages across the continental United States. Comparing 2024 data to 2019, the analysis finds that reported NOx and SO2 emissions fell by more than one-third, while direct PM2.5 and VOC emissions decreased by one-quarter. These emission reductions are associated with a decline in all-cause mortality from PM2.5 exposure (from 6,700 to 5,100 deaths) and non-fatal heart attacks (from 2,750 to 1,670). However, ozone exposure was still associated with nearly 1,500 deaths in 2024. Total health damages in 2024 were valued at $100 billion in 2023 dollars.

The report details the 'destructive power' of the nickel industry in North Maluku, specifically across Weda Bay, Gebe Island, Buli Bay, Subaim-Wasile, and Obi Island. It highlights a paradox where the province's economic growth exceeds 20% due to nickel exports, while poverty increases and local livelihoods—such as fishing and farming—are destroyed. Key impacts include severe deforestation, water contamination with heavy metals (hexavalent chromium, nickel, and copper), and a surge in Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) cases near coal-fired power plants. The document also records numerous industrial accidents at PT IWIP and the criminalization of residents resisting mining. It concludes that the 'clean energy transition' via electric vehicle batteries is built on an 'unclean and unjust' production chain.