G7 set to sign pact to end coal-based electricity production by 2035, says report

Energy ministers representing the Group of Seven (G7) major democracies are set to sign an agreement aimed at ending the use of coal in electricity production by 2023 and 2035. However, two diplomatic sources say Germany and Japan may be exempt from this agreement.

Outlines of the agreement

Sources state that G7 nations promise to close their coal-fired plants by the early 2030s, however, these countries could also choose to have a deadline aligned with maintaining the global temperature increase below 1.5°C.

This would give Berlin and Tokyo flexibility, given that their coal-fired plants generate over a fourth of their total electricity. Germany targets closing down its coal plants by 2038, whereas Japan has yet to set a deadline.

The significance of this agreement

Such an agreement on coal would represent a significant move towards the objectives outlined in 2023 by the COP28 United Nations climate summit to gradually minimise the use of fossil fuels, with coal being the most polluting one.

The G7 ministers are expected to release their final communique by early afternoon where ministers from Britain, Germany, the U.S., Japan, France, Canada and Italy will approve a technical agreement reached on Monday.

The Italian Energy Minister, and chair of the G7 meeting, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin mentioned the ministers were likely to restrict Russia’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) import to Europe.

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