The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated a global shift away from coal with the exception of China, which has expanded plans to build power stations using the fuel, data show.
The first half of 2020 marked the first ever six-month decline in global coal power capacity, said Global Energy Monitor, a San Francisco-based non-governmental organisation. Authorities around the world commissioned 18.3 gigawatts of capacity and retired 21.2GW, led by the closure of plants in Europe.
South and south-east Asian nations have also curtailed plans to build plants, with Vietnam considering cancelling 9.5GW of planned coal power plants and Bangladesh discussing halting 16.3GW of additional plants.