No financial aid, no exit: IEA chief backs India on coal
COAL & MINING

No financial aid, no exit: IEA chief backs India on coal

Backing India's stand on continuing with coal as an energy source, International Energy Agency (IEA) chief Fatih Birol told the media on Wednesday that it would not be fair to ask developing nations to stop coal usage without giving international financial assistance to make up for the economic challenge from such a move.

Birol, whose energy agency is a policy adviser for members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, said India, China, and Indonesia, produce more than 60% of electricity from coal and the average age of their coal fired plants is 11 years as compared to 40 years in Europe. He said the problem of concentration of carbon in the atmosphere has lasted “almost last 100 years” and that nations such as the US, Japan and European nations developed and enriched themselves “by using a lot of coal”.


4th Indian Cement Review Conference 2021

17-18 March 

Click for event info


Last month, IEA said India would make up the biggest share of energy demand growth at 25% over the next two decades, as it surpasses the European Union as the world's third biggest energy consumer by 2030.

India depends on coal for 60% of its energy, and coal and associated sectors are major employment generators, Birol said at the Energy Horizons Leadership Dialogue organised by Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW).

Last year, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres had called on India to move away from coal and other fossil fuel based economic growth and fully adopt renewable energy. India has maintained that it is not a polluter and cause of climate change and has voluntarily committed to work on reducing greenhouse gas emission intensity of its GDP by 33%-35% below 2005 levels, by 2030.

Image Source


Also read: CIL set to venture into aluminium, solar

Backing India's stand on continuing with coal as an energy source, International Energy Agency (IEA) chief Fatih Birol told the media on Wednesday that it would not be fair to ask developing nations to stop coal usage without giving international financial assistance to make up for the economic challenge from such a move. Birol, whose energy agency is a policy adviser for members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, said India, China, and Indonesia, produce more than 60% of electricity from coal and the average age of their coal fired plants is 11 years as compared to 40 years in Europe. He said the problem of concentration of carbon in the atmosphere has lasted “almost last 100 years” and that nations such as the US, Japan and European nations developed and enriched themselves “by using a lot of coal”.4th Indian Cement Review Conference 202117-18 March Click for event info Last month, IEA said India would make up the biggest share of energy demand growth at 25% over the next two decades, as it surpasses the European Union as the world's third biggest energy consumer by 2030. India depends on coal for 60% of its energy, and coal and associated sectors are major employment generators, Birol said at the Energy Horizons Leadership Dialogue organised by Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW). Last year, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres had called on India to move away from coal and other fossil fuel based economic growth and fully adopt renewable energy. India has maintained that it is not a polluter and cause of climate change and has voluntarily committed to work on reducing greenhouse gas emission intensity of its GDP by 33%-35% below 2005 levels, by 2030. Image Source Also read: CIL set to venture into aluminium, solar

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Coal Ministry Achieves Milestones under Special Campaign 5.0

The Ministry of Coal and its Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) have achieved notable milestones under the Special Campaign 5.0, focusing on cleanliness, operational efficiency, and sustainability across the coal sector. During the implementation phase from 2–31 October 2025, over 1,205 sites were cleaned, covering 68,04,087 sq ft, nearing the target of 82,51,511 sq ft. Scrap disposal of 5,813 MT against a target of 8,678 MT generated Rs 228.7 million in revenue. In addition, 1,11,248 physical and 30,331 electronic files were reviewed, with 74,123 weeded out or closed. Key initiatives showc..

Next Story
Infrastructure Energy

Vesting Orders Issued for Three Coal Blocks under Commercial Auctions

The Ministry of Coal’s Nominated Authority has issued vesting orders for three coal blocks under commercial coal block auctions on 23 October 2025. The Coal Mine Development and Production Agreements (CMDPAs) for these mines were earlier signed on 21 August 2025. The three blocks include Rajgamar Dipside (Deavnara), Tangardihi North, and Mahuagarhi. Of these, two are partially explored while one is fully explored, with a combined peak rated capacity of around 1 MTPA and geological reserves of approximately 1,484.41 million tonnes. These mines are expected to generate annual revenue of abou..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

TEC, IIT-Hyderabad Partner to Boost 6G and Telecom Standards

The Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), technical arm of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT Hyderabad) for joint research and technical collaboration in advanced telecom technologies and standardisation. The partnership focuses on developing India-specific standards and test frameworks for next-generation networks, including 6G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs). It also aims to enhance India’s participation in international standardisation f..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?