Implications of the Paris Agreement for coal use in the power sector

This report looks into the implications of the Paris Agreement for coal fired electric generation. It shows that the Paris Agreement 1.5°C temperature limit requires a quick phase-out of coal used for electric power generation. Energy-system models show that the phase out of unabated coal-fired power plants needs to take place around mid-century globally. Under a least-cost strategy, coal phase out dates differ across regions in the world: the EU and the OECD would need to phase out coal by 2030, China
by 2040 and the rest of the world, including the majority of emerging economies, would need to phase out coal by 2050.