Coal combustion was responsible for more than 0.3 degrees C of the 1-degree C surge in global average annual surface temperatures above pre-industrial levels—and that makes coal the single largest source of the global temperature increase, the International Energy Agency (IEA) says in a new report.
The finding, outlined in the IEA’s Global Energy & CO2 Status Report released March 26, stems from the Paris-based agency’s first attempt to quantify the impact of fossil fuel use on global temperature increases. It is significant because to date, while data suggests the coal power sector emits a substantial amount of global emissions, no specific value has been attached to coal’s role in global temperature increases that are causing climate change.
