the return to coal dynamites the Paris Agreement

Europe is preparing to worst possible energy scenario and, apparently, that happens by reducing – at least temporarily – climate ambition. Germany was the first to recognize this defeat partial. This week, the German government has announced that it will reactivate its coal plants, despite the fact that it planned to dismantle them to meet its commitment to eliminate this fuel by 2030.

The priority now is to ensure that energy continues to reach industry and homes and to fill gas tanks before the heating season begins. Especially given the possibility of a imminent total Russian gas cutoff, which has already cut 60% of the flow it sends to the country.

“It is a bitter decision, but essential”, recognized the Minister of the Economy, Robert Habeck. And it is that before the war, Germany imported a 55% of its natural gas from Moscowwhich makes it one of the European countries most susceptible to attacks Kremlin powerhouses.

However, giving up the green agenda has been much harder for Austria, which announced the “definitive” goodbye to coal in 2019. With 80% of its gas coming from Russia, the country has been forced to prepare some decommissioned plants for use to generate electricity in an emergency.

[Europa se prepara ante una posible III Guerra Mundial: vuelta al carbón, acopio de víveres…]

For their part, the Netherlands they have decided to lift the limit on the production of coal-fired power plants, which will allow it to reduce its dependence (from 15%) on Russian gas.

A similar measure is being considered Italy, which in 2021 imported 90% of its gas supplies and 40% did so from Russia. Since the beginning of the war, the transalpine country has looked for alternative suppliers in Algeria or Qatar.

Germany, Austria, Italy and the Netherlands prepare to reopen their old coal plants

However, these may not be enough to fill the gas reservoirs, currently at 55% of their capacity, according to data from the Ministry of Ecological Transition. For this reason, the Draghi government has announced that will buy more coal “on a prudential basis” to increase domestic production.

The European Union is aware that the return to coal is collateral damage in efforts to eliminate energy ties with Russia and continue to financially strangle Vladimir Putin. In fact, von der Leyen has recently warned member states not to go backwards on their path to reduce fossil fuels. For the European Executive the horizon has to be in renewable energy.

beyond Europe

Since the sanctions began on raw materials exported from Russia – the sixth largest producer and third largest exporter of coal in the world – the markets for this fuel seem to have gone crazy. First, because Western countries that had given up coal now demand it. Second, because Moscow has been forced to sell coal at a discount to countries that do not openly condemn its invasion of Ukraine.

In this sense China and India have come out on top. In the former, coal imports from Russia almost doubled between March and April, reaching 4.42 million metric tons, according to Refinitiv data.

In addition, the world’s largest coal consumer is expanding the production of this fuel since last year. Specifically since the fall, when an energy deficit caused blackouts throughout the territory and began to frustrate Xi Jinping’s plan (presented to the United Nations) to achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.

Coal emits almost twice as much carbon dioxide as natural gas

In India, shortages have long been one of the biggest concerns. Hence, the Asian country is leaning towards coal, a relatively cheap fuel that already feeds the 70% of the country’s electricity grid.

[India se convierte en la “puerta trasera” del petróleo ruso que Europa y Estados Unidos rechazan]

Furthermore, New Delhi does not seem willing to want to do without this energy. Much less now that Russia offers discounts on its raw materials. Without going any further, the purchase of Russian coal in the country increased up to six times more than last year in the period from May 27 to June 15, according to data collected by Reuters.

Thus, the resurgence of coal, which emits almost twice as much CO2 as natural gas, endangers international efforts to limit the increase in global temperature to 1.5ºC, as agreed by more than 190 countries in the 2015 Paris Agreement. A climate milestone that, like many other achievements, could fall apart with the war in Ukraine.