Is China driving global coal demand to record highs?
Core argument: The IEA estimates global coal demand reached an all-time high of 8,771 million metric tons in 2024, up 1% from 2023, as electricity demand rose faster than expected.
Coal demand set a record high in 2024. The IEA now estimates that global coal demand surged to an all-time high of 8,771 million metric tons this year, up 1% from 2023, as electricity demand rose faster than expected. The country, worshiped by some green enthusiasts thanks to its embrace of electric vehicles, wind turbines, and solar panels, is the world’s biggest polluter. China alone consumes nearly 30% more coal than the rest of the world together. That’s not ending anytime soon. Now, the IEA assumes that Chinese coal demand will set an all-time high every year until at least 2027.

