G7 eyes possible end date for coal-fired power plants

Turin G7 energy ministers discuss phasing out coal plants by 2030s, facing UN criticism for climate inaction.

G7 energy ministers on April 29 discussed a possible time frame for phasing out coal-fired power plants, as the UN warned “excuses” for failing to take bold actions on climate change were “not acceptable”.

The Group of Seven meeting in Turin is the first big political session since the world pledged at the UN’s COP28 climate summit in December to transition away from coal, oil and gas.

Energy and ecological transition ministers from the G7 were on Monday, the first of two-day talks, close to committing to a common target of shutting down coal-fired power plants, several sources told AFP.

They looked likely to commit to close them “in the first half of the 2030s”, a European source told AFP.

The latest G7 draft commits to “phase out existing unabated coal power generation in our energy systems during the first half of 2030s or in a timeline consistent with keeping a limit of 1.5°C temperature rise within reach, in line with countries’ net zero pathways”, the source said.

A fixed time frame would be hailed as an important step.

UN climate chief Simon Stiell earlier Monday urged the highly industrialised countries to use their political clout, wealth and technologies to end fossil fuel use.