A few years ago, the world was on a path to ending coal, the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel and the single biggest contributor to carbon dioxide emissions. Active and sustained campaigning brought coal closer to the point of death and the world to a coal-free future.

Several developments made this evident. One, the shrinking of the pipeline of new coal and the shutting down of hundreds of coal projects across the globe. Two, the commitment of 44 governments to end the construction of new coal plants and cancellation by a further 33 countries of new coal projects. Three, the shifts in the policies of several public financial institutions and private banks to either wind down or immediately end coal financing. And four, the emergence of cheaper renewables that downgraded new investments in coal as a costly mistake.

Since 2015, more than half of countries with coal power have reduced or kept their operating capacity flat. In addition, announced, pre-permit, permitted and construction coal capacity was reduced by 68% globally. From 2015 to 2021, changes in the global pipeline of proposed coal power plants showed a 76% collapse in coal construction.

Fossil fuel transition back in draft pact for UN Summit of the Future after outcry

There was broad consensus that coal power generation must be rapidly phased out to reduce emissions significantly and, consequently, the risks and impacts of climate change. Anti-coal campaigns hounded corporations on the terrible economics of coal-based energy. They successfully pressured hundreds of firms to stop financing or pull back investments in coal or issue policies to limit exposure to coal. They also made coal uninsurable.

A litany of research and analysis of the implications of coal combustion on climate targets echoed the pressure. According to a 2021 report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, coal phase-out must take place in advanced economies by 2030 and in the rest of the world by 2040. An assessment model exploring the implications of the 2C temperature limit has found that, globally, over 80% of current coal reserves should remain unused from 2010 to 2050 to meet the 2C target.

Conflict boost for coal

Despite all of this, coal is rising again today, driven by demand growth and operating capacity increases in developing and emerging economies. Global coal use and capacity rebounded in 2022 and grew to an all-time high in 2023. Total global capacity in pre-construction also increased by 6% in 2023.

The demise of coal, as it turns out, is a lot of gas, literally and figuratively.

Climate campaigners marched to Mendiola Street, near Malacanang Palace in Manila, on Sept 13, 2024, calling out the Philippines energy department and President Marcos for allowing coal expansion despite a 2020 moratorium. The protesters demanded an end to new coal and rapid phaseout of all coal by 2035. (Photo: APMDD)

The failure of governments to rapidly shift to renewable energy is key to coal’s staying power. The energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine triggered a buying frenzy for coal and gas, driving prices to record levels. Asian countries increased coal production to secure energy supply. Some European countries brought mothballed coal-burning power plants back online or removed caps on production at coal-fired plants.

No wonder fossil fuels still dominated global energy demand in 2022, with coal holding 35% of the share in the power sector. This, despite a massive renewables growth of 266 gigawatts – the highest growth ever – bolstered by solar and wind.

Asia is the hotbed of both coal resurgence and fossil gas expansion. China, India and Indonesia already account for more than 70% of the world’s coal production. India and China, both of which have adopted aggressive renewables targets, are substantially using more coal and are poised to increase their coal use significantly in the coming years.

Finance flows to fossil fuels

The world’s top commercial banks are mainly responsible for the global flow of funds for new coal in Asia. These banks are headquartered in rich countries like the US, Canada and the UK that have not built a new coal plant within their countries for years. At the same time, major Asian banks are now playing a growing role in coal expansion in the region. Having weak or non-existent exclusions on coal, these banks are creating new coal financing “havens” in the region.

The same is true for the flow of finance for the gas build-out. The major players are the world’s top commercial banks, major Asian banks and public financial institutions. Japan’s megabanks and state-bank Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) lead the world’s biggest financiers of Southeast Asia’s gas expansion.

EU “green” funds invest millions in expanding coal giants in China, India

Over 60% of global gas-fired capacity in development is based in Asia. Governments are pursuing the gas build-out to ostensibly meet growing energy demand while turning away from coal. Current gas expansion plans in Southeast Asia could lead to a doubling of gas-fired power capacity and an 80% increase in LNG import capacity. This would lock the region into an economically volatile fuel that is dangerous for people and the climate.

Alongside the planned expansion of gas power, coal’s resurgence will be massively detrimental to climate goals. It also draws investment away from the transition to renewable energy. Coal and gas will not deliver affordable, reliable, sustainable and clean energy in Asia, where millions suffer from energy poverty.

Renewables have become the cheapest and fastest-growing source of electricity worldwide, with annual capacity additions more than doubling from 2015 to 2022. We must replace coal with renewables – not with dirty, inefficient, volatile energy sources like gas.

On September 13, climate activists are holding mobilisations in over 50 countries on all continents calling for a fast, fair and funded phase-out of fossil fuels and the delivery of climate finance. These kick off a Global Week of Action for Climate Finance and a Fossil-Free Future ahead of Climate Week NYC (September 22-29) when world leaders assemble for the UN General Assembly and the first UN Summit of the Future where they will agree a Pact for the Future. For details of the actions: https://payupandphaseout.org

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The movement seeking to protect this blue and green marble we inhabit has long been associated with the latter of those two colours rather than the former.

It’s the name of environmentally focused political parties around the world, half the name of the world’s most famous environmental campaign group and is used to collectively describe anyone with an active interest in the related issues.

But a new colour is on the rise and could leave some greens feeling blue.

The French utility company EDF, has labelled its low-carbon tariffs as “blue energy”, Volkswagen’s most fuel efficient vehicles are labelled “Bluemotion”.

British Olympic cycling hopeful Victoria Pendleton stars in an EDF campaign. The company says it is powering the Olympics with blue energy. (Copyright: EDF)

In an epic green versus blue clash, Greenpeace directly challenged VW’s environmental credentials with a targeted campaign that brought both sides much publicity.

NGOs and campaign groups including 350, The Environmental Defence Fund, IUCN, Pew Environment, The Carbon Trust and Climate Week all have predominantly blue logos. Even the UN’s climate change agency, the UNFCCC rebranded from red to blue in the last year

More and more the colour blue is being associated with products and organisations that traditionally would opt for green.

Is the blue trend indicative of change more significant than branding?

“Green [as a movement] has kind of failed, it has stayed niche, it’s a passive engagement model and its representative of ‘challenge’,” says Niall Dunne, CSO, BT Group.

“My twitter handle is @bluNiall, I used to have a company called bluvolution, Saatchi & Saatchi had the True Blue movement,” lists Dunne.

“A lot of businesses have realised that we need a new platform for change. Any radicalist or fundamentalist will tell you that real change will come from within the system. You can agitate from outside the system all you want and you‘ll get some attention from campaigns and so on. But the systemic change that we need, will come from within,” says Dunne.

This sentiment was backed up by WWF-UK’s CEO David Nussbaum and Oxfam’s Deputy Advocacy and Campaigns Director Stephen Hale. Both told an All-Party Parliamentary Group meeting in London that they were reviewing their approach in the wake of Rio+20.

Politicians have also sought to profit from the green/blue connection with the Conservative Party in the UK (with traditional blue colours) launching its “vote Blue, go Green” slogan during the last election campaign.

So who is prompting these changes? Consumers, media or is it a more natural evolution?

Alexandra Frank, business development executive, with the communications and strategy consultancy Salterbaxter, which has sustainability expertise.

“There’s been so many cases of greenwashing in the media which I think is part of the reason we have evolved beyond green,” says Frank.

“Generally the public have a hard time relating to sustainability and for many it is still about the ‘hippy days’ and purely about environmental protection. I think if they understood what it really encompasses, they could relate better. Its not just about the environment, it’s about driving innovation and making sure we’re better prepared for whatever challenges come in the future. I don’t think we’re there yet.”

VIDEO: The Greenpeace campaign spoofing the VW Star Wars adverts

So does blue represent a more rational, practical approach to sustainability?

“Yes, I think it’s no longer an ‘us against them’ mentality and there has been a shift with the major NGOs as well. Many now understand that money makes the world go round and its better to work together on a more collaborative, possibly less confrontational, process,” suggest Frank.

Nigel Salter director and head of strategy at Salterbaxter believes this shift can be pinpointed to one precise turning point in environmental campaigning history.

“Post COP15, [the infamous UN Climate Change talks in Copenhagen] the world has started to realize that government is more or less irrelevant and that business needs to seize the opportunity and lead the way itself. The changes being driven through society at the moment represent some of the most exciting transformational opportunities for business for decades.

“The smartest businesses know this and the smartest NGOs now see that business is the answer to the challenges, not the reason for the problems,” claims Salter.

With business and civil society both seemingly looking to move away from the practices associated with the green of old, we’re likely to only see the blue movement gather pace.

If either movement can trigger the changes that all parties believe we need to stave-off dangerous climate change, no-one is likely to care what colour banner it is done under.

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To mark the Academy Awards on Sunday night, RTCC looks at some of the best environmental films on offer…and one not so good.

We’ll run through five excellent documentaries and one fictional guilty pleasure…

First up, If a tree falls: A story of the earth liberation front. Our first entry is nominated for Best Documentary at this year’s Aacdemy Awards and tells the story of one environmental groups shift from non-violence to a campaign of property destruction.

A previous environmental documentary to win the Oscar is up next. The Cove proved that the subject can do well with critics and audiences alike.

Tarmaggedon is especially timely given the level of debate over Canada’s tar sands oil…

In transition 2.0 is a look at the increasingly popular Transition movement from communities printing their own currencies to local energy projects, all triggered by what started as a social experiment.

Blue Gold offers a reminder that while there is so much focus on CO2 emissions and biodiverse forestry, our water resources are the subject of huge pressures at a time of increasing population.

And finally…a cinematic climate change guilty pleasure. It is big, but its not clever. Global warming gets the full Hollywood treatment…

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***Update***

The Keystone Pipeline protest is still going strong having surpassed its original target, now with over 600,000 signatures.

*****

The latest protest against the Keystone Pipeline in the US has gained 300,000 signatures, ahead of the 1200EST 1700GMT deadline.

Bill Mckibben was arrested last year while protesting outside the White House against the Keystone Pipeline (source: tarsandsaction/creative commons)

The action, organised by environmental group 350.org along with 30 other campaigns, businesses and blogs, aims to send over 500,000 messages to the Senate opposing the pipeline in just 24-hours.

Beginning at noon yesterday, the latest petition comes as an amendment linked to the transportation bill going through the Senate and would override President Obama’s decision last month to reject the project.

Supporters of the campaign include actor Robert Redford, activist Naomi Klein and environmental blog Grist.org, who have all been rallying to get signatures.

Speaking at a conference ahead of the action, 350.org founder Bill McKibben said: “The environmental movement is well wired and well connected, and it’s got lots and lots of young people who are ready to use social media in powerful ways. More than any day before, the next 24 hours will take the environmental movement deep into the wired age.”

With seven hours still to go, you can add your voice to the campaign here.

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