Energy ministers from the G7 countries (the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Japan) have agreed on an exit from coal-fired power generation between 2030 and 2035. The agreement could however offer a leeway to Germany and Japan, whose coal-fired plants produce nearly one-third of their total electricity (33% for Germany and 31% for Japan in 2022). The G7 accord may allow for flexibility, accommodating countries with coal dependency by aligning the shutdown date with the 1.5°C objective of the Paris Agreement.
The agreement follows a resolution at the COP28 summit in 2023 to move away from fossil fuels and phase down the relentless use of coal power. On the sidelines of the summit, the US joined the Power Past Coal Alliance (PPCA), committing to not building any new unabated coal-fired power plants and to phase-out existing unabated ones. Japan, while it did not join the PPCA, also announced that it would stop building new coal power plants that do not have emission reduction measures in place.
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