UK, Canada launch alliance to phase out coal

The UK and Canada on Thursday launched a global alliance to phase out coal electricity.

The Powering Past Coal Alliance, unveiled at the COP23 climate change conference, has the ambition to lead the world on ending the use of unabated coal, which UK climate change minister Claire Perry said is "the dirtiest, most polluting way of generating electricity."

The world still produces 40% of its electricity from coal. "The Powering Past Coal Alliance will signal to the world that the time of coal has passed," Perry said.

The alliance includes more than 20 partners and aims to raise this number to 50 or more in a year.

The UK has already committed to phasing out unabated coal by 2025. In yesterday's statement the government pointed out that the country has reduced the share of coal in its generation from 40% in July 2012 to 2% in July 2017 and said its transition away from coal has been aided by renewable energy sources becoming cost effective.

As of November 16 the alliance partner countries, states and organisations include Alberta, Angola, Austria, Belgium, British Columbia, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, Finland, Fiji, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niue, Ontario, Portugal, Quebec, Switzerland, UK, Vancouver and Washington.

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