Iran conflict drives global coal use to record high, reversing climate pledges

Global coal consumption has hit an all-time high, driven by the Iran war's disruption of energy supplies, five years after world leaders pledged to phase down coal. The surge reflects a shift back to coal as a fallback fuel amid conflict-related supply constraints, undermining climate commitments. The exact magnitude of the increase and the war's specific contribution remain unspecified, but the trend signals a significant setback for decarbonization efforts.