At COP26 in November, the world pledged to “phase down” unabated coal. But its use to generate electricity hit a record high in 2021, dashing hopes that the world might have hit “peak coal” back in 2018. India and China are responsible for about two-thirds of coal usage globally, and they hold the key to ramping it down to meet global climate goals. But it’s not just up to them — in 2021, the US saw the first increase in coal use since 2014, according to data released this week, a big jump that was due largely to rising natural gas prices. Environment correspondent Carolyn Beeler speaks with Marco Werman about the status of coal at the beginning of 2021.
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