Overall, it looks like good news: the G7 countries have agreed to phase out coal before 2035, but, as always, the Devil is in the detail.

With the Environment, Energy and Climate G7 meeting concluding on Tuesday at the Palace of Venaria in Turin, the focus was on a green transformation and addressing climate change, pollution, the energy crisis and biodiversity loss.

At the end of the working sessions a Joint Declaration was issued that constituted a follow-up to the goals agreed at COP 28 of phasing out fossil fuels, with the first step being to phase out coal; encourage the strong growth of renewables through the multiplication of energy storage capacity; promote G7 collaboration on fusion energy sector; reduce non-CO2 emissions; establish a ‘G7 Water Coalition’; and ensure a just transition to clean energy in developing countries, particularly in Africa.

So far, so good, but some environmental groups are not so impressed, saying it is too little and too late as there was no commitment to fully decarbonise power sectors by 2035 (a 2030 deadline for coal phase-out, and 2035 cut-off for gas power, as recommended by both the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Beyond Fossils Fuel called this: “a vague reference to the first half of the 2030s, in an apparent attempt to coax a coal exit commitment from Japan”.

“The task at hand is to phase-out coal by 2030, and gas power by 2035, in order to achieve the G7’s goal of “fully or predominately” decarbonising its power sectors by 2035. Sixteen European countries have either already exited coal or have committed to do so by 2030, and ten have committed to move their power systems away from fossil fuels by 2035 or sooner. Of the G7 member countries, the UK will stop burning coal this year, and France and Italy have pledged to follow suit by 2027. G7 ministers need to lead by example and align their commitments with reality and the urgency of the climate crisis,” said Claire Smith, senior international campaigner at Beyond Fossil Fuels.

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