European Parliament

01/07/2025 | Press release | Archived content

Global coal use at an all-time high as China tops international coal consumption rankings

Global coal use at an all-time high as China tops international coal consumption rankings

7.1.2025

Priority question for written answer P-000033/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Silvia Sardone (PfE)

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global coal consumption reached record levels in 2024. China continues to be both the world's biggest coal consumer - its power plants use a third of all the coal extracted worldwide - and producer, the country's output peaking at 14 million tonnes a day in November 2024. Over the last 25 years, China has used 30 % more coal than the rest of the world combined to sustain its ever-growing energy needs, while it accounts for 56 % of global coal consumption to generate energy for its battery-powered vehicles and AI technology.

In the light of the above:

  • 1.Does the Commission not think it paradoxical that the transition to electric cars, a sector in which China is a global leader, is predicated on using massive quantities of coal?
  • 2.Given the above coal consumption data, is the Commission planning to revise the EU's trade agreements with China by adding an environmental clause?
  • 3.What will the Commission do to prevent the EU from losing competitiveness as a result of its environmentally-friendly policies at a time when China is securing a growing market share by upping its consumption of polluting energy sources?

Submitted: 7.1.2025