World should shut 3,000 coal plants to keep on climate track

The world will need to shut down nearly 3,000 coal-fired power plants before 2030 if it is to have a chance of keeping temperature rises within 1.5 Celsius, according to research by climate think tank TransitionZero.

In a report published days before the UN COP26 climate change summit, TransitionZero said there are currently more than 2,000GW of coal-fired power in operation across the world, and that needs to be slashed by nearly half, requiring the closure of nearly one unit per day from now until the end of the decade.