The Alliance was launched by Canada and the UK at the COP23 climate summit in November 2017. Announcing the launch, Climate Action Network-Canada Executive Director Catherine Abreu said: "Canada and the UK are right to kick-start the Alliance, as science tells us that OECD countries need to phase out coal by 2030 at the latest”.[1][7]
By the end of the summit, membership had grown to include over 20 countries, regions and organizations.[8] Within a month membership had grown to over 50 .[9] Its purpose is to establish a new international norm, or “standard of appropriate behaviour”, that coal should not be burned for power.[2]
Governments/states will phase out existing traditional coal power.
Governments/states will create a moratorium on any new traditional coal power stations without operational carbon capture and storage.
Businesses/organisations will power operations without coal.
Members will ensure policies and investments support clean power.
Members will restrict financing for traditional coal power without carbon capture and storage.
Reactionedit
Reacting to the launch, Tracy Carty of Oxfam said the Alliance "represents real and tangible progress in the fight against climate change."[18]
Business change organisation The B Team welcomed the Alliance, and argued that exiting coal must happen as a just transition that protects vulnerable workers and communities such as coal mining communities.[19]
Membersedit
Members of the Powering Past Coal Alliance as of December 2023 were:[20]
^ abBeer, Mitchell (26 November 2017). "BREAKING: 25 JURISDICTIONS JOIN CANADA, UK IN COAL PHASEOUT ALLIANCE". The Energy Mix. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
^ abBlondeel, Mathieu; Van de Graaf, Thijs; Haesebrouck, Tim (January 2020). "Moving beyond coal: Exploring and explaining the Powering Past Coal Alliance". Energy Research & Social Science. 59: 101304. doi:10.1016/j.erss.2019.101304.
^Shrestha, Priyanka (15 July 2019). "National Grid ESO joins Powering Past Coal Alliance". Energy Live News. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
^Rabson, Mia (17 November 2017). "Canada and U.K. form alliance to phase out coal to combat climate change". CBC. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
^ abBlondeel, Thijs; Van de Graaf, Mathieu (10 February 2019). "Growing anti-coal alliance could become non-proliferation treaty for fossil fuel". Climate Home News. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
^"Our mission | Powering Past Coal Alliance". Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA). Retrieved 2020-01-21.
^"Canada & UK launch coal phaseout plan". Retrieved 29 September 2018.
^"Powering Past Coal Alliance: 20 countries sign up to phase out coal power by 2030". ABC News. 2017-11-17. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
^ abHill, Joshua (17 December 2017). "Powering Past Coal Alliance Membership Blows Out Past 50". CleanTechnica. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
^Cochran, Lee. "Bloomberg Philanthropies Announces Partnership with Powering Past Coal Alliance to Strengthen Global Efforts to Phase Out Coal". Bloomberg Philanthropies. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
^Sauer, Natalie (10 March 2018). "South Korean province joins international coal phase-out club". Climate Home News. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
^Chen, Han (2 October 2018). "Korean Province to Phase Out Coal: Implications for Asia". Natural Resources Defense Council. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
^Sauer, Natalie (13 December 2018). "Sydney and Melbourne vow to ditch coal power". Climate Home News. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
^"Germany and Slovakia head list of new Alliance members at UN Climate Action Summit". poweringpastcoal.org. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
^"Canada to celebrate Clean Air Day with new members of the Powering Past Coal Alliance, including Quebec-based Desjardins Group". bloomberg.com. 2 June 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
^"Hungary becomes member of Powering Past Coal Alliance". bbj.hu. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
^"Powering Past Coal Alliance Expands at COP26, Adds New Mexico". newsdata.com. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
^Hernandez-Arthur, Simon (8 December 2017). "Reaction to launch of 'Powering Past Coal' Alliance". Oxfam International. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
^Burrow, Sharan; Robinson, Mary (2020). "Powering past coal is right move, but we can't do it without a just transition". The B Team. Retrieved December 15, 2019.