Peak coal

Part of a series on
Coal
Economic use Ammonia Anthracite Bituminous coal Charcoal Coal combustion products Coal-fired power station Coal gas Coal in Australia Canada Europe India Poland Russia South Africa Turkey Ukraine Coal mining in Chile in the UK in the USA Coal-mining region Coal power in China in the USA Coal preparation plant Coal tar Coke (fuel) Coking Metallurgical coal
Externalities Ash pond Asian brown cloud Asthma Blackdamp Black lung disease Coal dust Coal mining disasters in the United States Coal refuse Coal slurry Environmental problems involving Appalachia coal ash coal mining in Appalachia Greenhouse gas emissions human health NOx smog smoke sulfur dioxide the petroleum industry toxic heavy metals Firedamp Hydrosulfuric acid Outbursts Problems in coal mining Whitedamp
Related articles Carbon bubble Carboniferous Coal oil Coal phase-out Coal pollution mitigation Coal-seam fire Energy lobby Fossil fuel Fossil fuel phase-out Fossil fuels lobby Great Smog of London History of coal mining Peak coal War on coal
v t e

Peak coal is the peak consumption or production of coal by a human community. Peak coal can be driven by peak demand or peak supply. Historically, it was widely believed that the supply-side would eventually drive peak coal due to the depletion of coal reserves. However, since the increasing global efforts to limit climate change, peak coal has been driven by demand.^[1] This is due in large part to the rapid expansion of natural gas and renewable energy.^[1] As of 2024 over 40% of all energy sector CO2 emissions are from coal, and many countries have pledged to phase-out coal.^[2]

The peak of coal's share in the global energy mix was in 2008, when coal accounted for 30% of global energy production.^[1] Coal consumption is declining in the United States and Europe, as well as developed economies in Asia.^[1] However, consumption is still increasing in India and Southeast Asia,^[3] which compensates for the falls in other regions.^[4] Global coal consumption reached an all time high in 2023 at 8.5 billion tons.^[5]