The West's grand crusade for a carbon-neutral future is turning into a colossal tragedy of misplaced priorities, producing no environmental benefit while imposing hardships on citizens. Burdened with “green” policies, European and American families huddle in the cold -- or swelter in the heat -- to save on skyrocketing energy bills and their factories face crippling electricity costs and the threat of power shortages. Meanwhile, Asia grows its economy by burning ever larger quantities of coal.
China and India, respectively, the world's largest and second largest energy consumers, are on a coal-fired rampage, building new power plants and opening new mines at a breathtaking rate. Energy Institute reports that global coal consumption has hit a record high, thanks to the energy demand in Asia Pacific.
Developed nations pat themselves on the back for shutting down coal plants, even as Asia's insatiable appetite for hydrocarbons cancels out the pathetic results of the West’s failing climate policies. Every new mine in India or every additional megawatt of coal-generated power in China negates any effect that emission-reduction plans of the West might have.
Coal remains a cornerstone of energy production in the Asia Pacific region. The justification for Asia's expansion of coal use is rooted in economic realities. China and India are well along with rapid industrialization. Their populations crave affordable, reliable baseload power – the kind that coal-fired plants excel at providing. Moreover, coal is abundant both domestically and globally.
In contrast, energy sources like solar and wind simply are not stable or cheap enough to meet the massive demands of these nations' burgeoning economies. This is why Asians continue to place their trust in coal. According to Energy Institute’s 2024 Statistical Review of World Energy, global coal consumption hit an all-time high in 2023, with the data revealing that rising use in Asia Pacific offset a drop in coal consumption in the rest of the world..
In other words, closures of coal plants in the U.S. and Europe are meaningless in terms of a net reduction in plant emissions. There is none.
Distant net-zero targets set by China (2060) and India (2070) give them free passes to continue using coal for the foreseeable future. Attempts to cut emissions would stymie economic growth, decrease employment in key sectors and exacerbate energy poverty, none of which are on the agendas of these countries.
The West often overlooks social implications of its green push. Energy prices have surged and reliability of supply has declined as traditional coal and gas plants are decommissioned and wind and solar power enter the grid. With a limited financial buffer, the low-income family is most acutely affected. Heating a home or putting food on a table becomes an actual choice.
Expensive energy has become a significant threat to the viability of some businesses. The Federation of Small Businesses in the U.K. reports an average rise in energy costs of 424% from 2021 to 2023.
Whether it be the struggles of working families or the pressures of profit-and-loss accounting, such harsh realities seem invisible to climate crusaders.
The highest court in the U.K. has ruled that “the climate impact of burning coal, oil and gas must be taken into account when deciding whether to approve projects,” This can only worsen the country’s energy security.
In Australia, most provinces face the risk of blackouts due to the government's decision to deprioritize fossil fuel supply. Insufficient wind power generation is putting pressure on gas availability, exposing the fecklessness of years of constraints on new supplies. Gas producers and consumers are frustrated at a lack of response to warnings of possible shortages.
The recent poor showing of green parties in European elections suggests that the common man of the West may be warning of another looming shortage. That would be in people’s patience with nonsensical climate policies.
Vijay Jayaraj is a Research Associate at the CO2 Coalition, Arlington, Virginia. He holds a master’s degree in environmental sciences from the University of East Anglia, U.K.
