Posted on 14 April 2016

(Brussels, Belgium 14 April 2016): Even the most efficient coal plants are not compatible with the global climate change goals, according to a new study.
 
As world leaders prepare to sign the Paris Agreement on climate change next week, a new report from Ecofys shows that any coal-fired power generation will take the world off course from the internationally agreed target of keeping temperature rise well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.
 
“The future of coal-fired power plants, even of ‘efficient’ ones, looks bleak due to the drastic CO₂ emission reductions in the power sector that are needed to limit the global average temperature rise to well below 2°C, let alone the 1.5°C limit agreed in Paris,” commented David de Jager, Principal Consultant at Ecofys.
 
“This report discredits claims from the coal industry and governments such as those of Japan, Germany, South Korea, Australia and Poland that efficient coal plants are compatible with climate action. It is clear that in a post-Paris world, there is quite simply no role for coal, however ‘efficient’,” said Sebastien Godinot, Economist at WWF’s European Policy Office, which commissioned the report.
 
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), emissions from the global electricity sector need to rapidly reduce and be close to zero by 2050 in order to stay well under 2°C.
 
Even if all coal plants used the most efficient available technology – so-called ‘high efficiency low emissions’ (HELE) technology – the sector’s emissions would still be over those levels, the Ecofys study, The incompatibility of high-efficient coal technology with 2°C scenarios, shows.
 
WWF concludes that governments need to end public financial support for coal immediately, and phase out all coal plants by 2035 in Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries and by 2050 globally to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
 
“With the G7 meeting in Japan this May, some of the biggest coal nations have a unique opportunity to begin to phase out coal subsidies and coal use”, said Godinot.
 
This conclusion was reached through an assessment of scenarios from the IPCC  and IEA. Currently, 2,300 new coal power plants - 1,400 GW of capacity – are planned worldwide.
 
ends
  Notes for Editors:

1. Read the report online here:  http://bit.ly/1SeRhYG
2. Read the related blog here: http://bit.ly/1N7QNBe
3. Find the related infographic here: http://bit.ly/1oWvgjA

 
For further information:
 
WWF International
Mandy Jean Woods mwoods@wwf.org.za /  +27 72 393 0027
Samantha Smith ssmith@wwf.no  / +47 450 22 149
 
WWF EPO
Sarah Azau
Email: sazau@wwf.eu / @WWFEU
Phone: +32 2 743 88 06 / Mobile: + 32 473 57 31 37

Ecofys
Mariëlle Vosbeek
Email: press@ecofys.com
Phone:  +31 (0)30 662-3402
 
About WWF - WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. The Global Climate & Energy Initiative (GCEI) is WWF’s global programme addressing climate change, promoting renewable and sustainable energy, scaling up green finance, engaging the private sector and working nationally and internationally on implementing low carbon, climate resilient development. Connect with us on twitter - @climateWWF    www.panda.org/climateandenergy
 
About Ecofys - Established in 1984 with the mission of achieving “sustainable energy for everyone”, Ecofys has become the leading expert in renewable energy, energy & carbon efficiency, energy systems & markets as well as energy & climate policy. The unique synergy between those areas of expertise is the key to its success. Ecofys creates smart, effective, practical and sustainable solutions for and with public and corporate clients all over the world. With offices in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and the United Kingdom, Ecofys employs over 200 experts dedicated to solving energy and climate challenges. www.ecofys.com — Follow us on Twitter: @Ecofys