US coal 'biggest contributor by far' to rise in global emissions
Recorded: Sept. 14, 2026, 11 p.m.
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A recent review by the Energy Institute revealed that increased consumption of coal in the United States was the largest contributor to the overall rise in global carbon dioxide emissions last year. Specifically, US coal consumption grew by ten percent in 2025, significantly outpacing the global rise of only 0.7 percent. Selene Law of the Energy Institute stated that this surge in US coal demand was the primary reason for the global rise in CO2 emissions, highlighting the US's position as the biggest contributor. This increase in coal use was largely driven by the expansion of data centers; the US energy secretary noted that coal was deemed essential for the pursuit of artificial intelligence leadership, suggesting that the power demand from data centers is fueling higher gas prices and is expected to maintain this surge in coal demand. The analysis did not account for fluctuations related to oil and gas prices that frequently exceeded one hundred dollars per barrel during the period following US-led attacks on Iran. In terms of global contributions, the United States was responsible for more than a third of the total increase in global CO2 emissions last year, which amounted to an increase of 1.1 percent from 2024, and this figure accounted for more than the combined emissions of the remaining OECD countries. This US emission increase was four times greater than that experienced by China, which remained relatively stable in its emissions. Furthermore, Law noted that any emission reduction achieved by China, stemming from its pivot away from coal-fired power generation, was partially counteracted by the growth in its heavily coal-dependent chemicals sector. It is important to stress that China remains the largest absolute emitter of CO2 globally. The escalation in US coal use occurred within the context of President Donald Trump’s explicit pro-coal policy agenda. Prior to his second term in office, US coal production had decreased more than half since 2008, yet executive orders during that period pledged significant investment into exploiting US coal reserves. During his tenure, Trump announced substantial federal investments aimed at saving existing coal plants and opening new ones. However, these governmental coal plans faced legal challenges, as a federal appeals court ruled that the government lacked authority to mandate that a Michigan coal-fired power station operate beyond its planned retirement date of May 2025. Despite this ruling, operators continued to maintain the plant, an action that raised concerns about potential costs being passed on to state ratepayers. In contrast to the surge in coal, renewable energy sources demonstrated rapid growth in 2025. Solar power emerged as the fastest-growing energy source, accounting for seventy-one percent of the growth in renewables and now possessing a share of the total energy supply that matches that of nuclear energy. Despite the noted coal surge, solar energy has already generated more electricity in the US than coal for the first time in May of that year. Nevertheless, fossil fuel consumption remains dominant in the global energy mix, accounting for eighty-six percent in 2025, although this figure represents a slight decrease compared to levels seen a decade earlier. |