Energy ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) wealthy nations have reached a landmark agreement to shutter their coal-fired power plants by 2035 at the latest, marking a significant step towards combating climate change.
In a video posted on X, Britain’s Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero, Andrew Bowie, announced the historic agreement, stating, “We have an agreement to stop using coal in the first half of 2030… it is a historic agreement,” during an interview with Class CNBC.
Italian diplomatic sources confirmed that a technical deal had been reached. The accord is set to be included in the final communique of the G7 energy ministers’ meeting in Turin, which is scheduled for release on Tuesday following the conclusion of the two-day meeting.
The agreement, reached after extensive discussions among diplomats from G7 nations, including Italy, the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Canada, and Japan, signifies a collective commitment to transition away from fossil fuels in alignment with the objectives outlined at the COP28 United Nations climate summit.
Luca Bergamaschi, co-founding member of the Italian climate change think tank ECCO, hailed the agreement as a catalyst for accelerating investments in clean technology, particularly in Japan and across the broader Asian coal economy, including China and India.
Italy, which produced 4.7% of its total electricity from its six remaining coal-fired stations last year, has announced plans to shut down its plants by 2025, except for those on the island of Sardinia, which are slated to close by 2028.
In contrast, Germany and Japan rely more heavily on coal, with coal’s share of electricity production surpassing 25% last year in both countries.
Notably, under Japan’s presidency last year, the G7 pledged to prioritize concrete steps toward phasing out coal power generation. However, a specific deadline had not been established until now, making this latest agreement a significant milestone in the global effort to combat climate change and transition towards renewable energy sources.
