TOKYO -- Despite growing climate concerns, the world continues to depend on coal as a power source, with more coal-fired capacity created than retired every year.
China, the world's biggest consumer of coal for power, now generates more electricity from the hydrocarbon than at any time in the past five years as its economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and a summer heat wave swells energy demand. In Europe, many countries have reversed their policy for phasing out power from coal in the face of shortages of natural gas caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
