COP28 and the coal question

Before India and China can commit to a future without coal, there are geopolitical and technological hurdles that need to be resolved

At the ongoing 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) summit in Dubai, more than 100 countries signed the Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge, aiming to triple the global installed capacity for renewables to 11,000 Gigawatts and double the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030.

India, which has set one of the most ambitious targets in renewable energy capacity increases globally, refrained from signing the pledge. China also balked at signing, with reports indicating the sticking point was the reference to phasing out coal and ending any fresh investments in that sector.

Coal, considered the dirtiest fuel and