Author: Vlastimil Vilímek | Prague on 09.10.2023

However, with the growing awareness of the impacts on climate change and the need to focus on cleaner forms of energy, countries around the world are opting to reduce and phase out the use of coal.

The speed and success of these moves is widely debated and depends on a number of factors, including political will, the availability of alternative energy sources and the economic context.

How are countries approaching coal phase-out?

Austria has the distinction of becoming the first EU country to phase out the burning of coal for power generation in the early 2020s.

Germany, the world’s seventh largest coal power, has pledged to phase out coal by 2038.
This is part of a broader strategy to switch to cleaner energy sources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The UK, the cradle of the industrial revolution, which was driven by coal power, has also pledged to phase out coal by 2024.
It aims to switch to low-emission energy sources such as nuclear power and renewables.

While the energy sector transition is challenging for all countries, some are finding it even harder.

Examples include China and India, the two most populous countries on the planet, which are heavily dependent on coal power.

China is currently not only the largest producer of coal, but also the largest consumer of coal, as it uses it to generate energy.

The situation in India is similar.
The country derives almost 72% of its electricity from coal, suggesting that its transition to more sustainable energy sources is likely to be slow and fraught with challenges.

And how is the Czech Republic preparing for this change?

The Czech Republic is currently still significantly linked to coal-fired power, which accounts for approximately 42% of all primary energy sources in the country.

In 2019, the Czech Republic established the so-called Coal Commission, which aims to set a final date for the end of coal mining and burning.

The Commission was established by Government Resolution No. 565 of 30 July 2019 and functions as an advisory body. By its statute, it is committed to providing the government with objective and consensual proposals on the future use of coal, including all related aspects.

The Commission is composed of energy experts, government representatives, industry representatives, regional representatives and NGOs.

It was inspired by similar commissions in Germany and other countries.

And is the Czech Republic ready for this change?

According to the latest resolution of the 7th session of the Coal Commission (4.12.2020), 2038 could be a realistic date for the end of the use of coal for electricity and heat production.
However, the Commission stresses that this date is linked to the condition of timely replacement of coal sources with other energy sources in order to maintain the energy security of the Czech Republic.

The transition to alternative energy sources will require extensive investment and planning in the Czech Republic.

The government has to deal with a number of issues such as energy security, protecting jobs in coal regions and maintaining the availability of energy for the population.

In this context, it is necessary to mention the construction of new nuclear power plants, which must be implemented on the planned scale and timetable.

The transformation of the heating sector to enable a controlled transition away from the use of coal for heat production will also be an important step.

The Commission recommends maintaining the territorial designation of the Fair Transformation Fund for coal regions (Moravian-Silesian, Karlovy Vary and Ústí nad Labem), where approximately CZK 42 billion is allocated.

At the same time, the Commission proposes to favour coal regions under the Modernisation Fund, where the total allocation is more than CZK 120 billion and investments in public infrastructure from IROP, RRF and OPTAC business support amount to at least CZK 40 billion in the territory of coal regions.

The Czech Republic is thus faced with the challenge of how best to manage this transition to cleaner energy while taking into account the social and economic impacts of this process.

This recommendation is in line with the European Union’s ambitious plan to be climate neutral by 2050.

There is no doubt that the global goal of phasing out coal represents a complex task requiring intensive efforts.

Each country faces its own unique challenges and imperatives that must be respected and reflected.

However, despite all these challenges, it is inspiring to see how many countries are taking steps towards achieving this goal.

Thank you for reading and commenting, with kind regards Vlastimil Vilimek

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