Slow Burn: why we can’t quit coal

While some regard coal as a relic of the industrial revolution, it has never been more important to powering our modern economy. I am writing a book to unpack why we still use so much coal around the world and why transitioning to other fuels remains a challenge.

Even though coal is no longer the cheapest fuel in many countries, it still powers 34% of the world’s electricity and global demand keeps breaking new records. Coal also still has the highest climate impact of any fossil fuel, producing 37% of annual global emissions, and is one of the most harmful energy sources to human health.

Coal is often billed as an emerging markets fuel, and indeed China and India use the lion’s share of the world’s coal. Yet the US electricity grid is the third largest coal consumer globally, and almost half of Australia’s electricity is still coal-fired. My book will explore the political, economic and technological factors that drive our use of coal. Readers will come away with an understanding of the world’s energy system beyond the hype of renewables and demonisation of fossil fuels, and how our energy transition could be cheaper, healthier and fairer for everyone.