The UK government announced, on Wednesday, that it will withdraw coal from its “mix” for electricity generation from October 1, 2024, a year earlier than it had planned so far.
The British Foreign Office said in a statement that the plan was part of a roadmap to “eliminate contributions to climate change” by 2050.
The action is also intended to “highlight the UK’s leadership to move forward and faster on the path to reducing emissions”, stressed the CEO, who will host the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow (Scotland) in November.
The official memo confirmed that the government, headed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, will pass new legislation to reform this decarbonization “as soon as possible”.
“Coal fueled the Industrial Revolution two hundred years ago, but now is the time to take drastic action to completely remove this dirty fuel from our energy system,” said Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Anne-Marie Trevelyan.
“Today we are sending a clear signal to the whole world that the UK is leading the way in putting coal energy into the history books,” he added.
In 2020, coal accounted for 1.8% of the UK’s electricity “mix”, up from 40% nearly a decade ago, the government said, highlighting the “tremendous progress” made in the field in recent years. . past years.
The government has argued that coal is one of the most polluting fossil fuels, so getting rid of it would help ensure that global warming is limited to 1.5°C.
“The next decade will be crucial for our planet. The most powerful way to make a difference is to end our dependence on coal,” said Alok Sharma, President of COP26.
He added ahead of the climate summit: “I hope the UK will take decisive steps towards a cleaner and greener future, and send clear signals to our friends around the world that clean energy is the way to go.”
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