India says it will need coal until at least 2040 even as COP27 summit eyes cleaner fuel

• Shubham
• 09 November, 2022

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By: Shubham Ghosh

Until at least 2040, coal will play an important role in India until, the country’s coal minister said on Wednesday (9), even as calls for nations to switch to cleaner forms of fuel intensify at the United Nations climate talks currently taking place in Egypt.

Addressing a parliamentary committee, Pralhad Joshi, minister in charge of coal, said the fuel was an affordable source of energy and demand for it had yet to reach its peak in the South Asian nation.

“Thus, no transition away from coal is happening in the foreseeable future in India,” he said, adding it would have a big role until 2040 and beyond, Reuters reported.

At the COP27 talks taking place until November 18 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, UN secretary general Antonio Guterres has called for urgent action to slash emissions, including phasing out coal globally by 2040.

India has long opposed renouncing coal and manoeuvred with China at last year’s COP26 talks held in Britain to block stronger commitments to quitting it.

[With Reuters inputs]