IEA: Coal consumption dropped 4% worldwide in 2020

New International Energy Agency analysis of coal consumption helps explain why global carbon emissions have rebounded so quickly from the pandemic-fueled drop.

The big picture: It notes that overall global coal consumption fell 4% in 2020, with reductions concentrated in the early part of the year.

• "By the end of 2020, demand had surged above pre-Covid levels, driven by Asia where economies were fast rebounding and December was particularly cold," the analysis states.
• Global coal use in the fourth quarter was several percentage points higher than the same period in 2019, "contributing to a resurgence in global CO2 emissions."