Powering Past Coal Alliance

The Powering Past Coal Alliance or PPCA is a group that aims to reduce coal power. The main objective of the alliance is to phase out coal fired power plants. It was initially launched by Canada and United Kingdom. It was launched during the 2017 UNFCCC (United Nations Convention on Climate Change) COP23 held in Bonn. The Government of Canada provides financial support to the project.

About Powering Past Coal Alliance

Around 20 countries joined the alliance by the end of UNFCCC 2017 summit. In 2018, a South Korean province South Chungcheong joined the alliance. With this, it became the first largest user of coal power and also the largest jurisdiction in Asia to join the alliance.

Objectives of the Alliance

The main objectives of the alliance are as follows:

• To phase out traditional coal power
• To suspend the coal power stations that are operating without carbon capture and storage
• To make businesses and organizations run without the use of coal power
• The members of the alliance shall ensure to implement policies that support clean power
• The members will restrict the funds allocated to the coal power stations without carbon capture and storage

Members

The major coal consumers such as India, China, Australia are not members of Powering Past Coal Alliance. USA is also not a member. However, certain states of USA and Australia are members of the alliance. The members of the Alliance are Vanuatu, Uruguay, UK, Ukraine, Tuvalu, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Slovenia, Slovakia, Singapore, Senegal, Portugal, Peru, North Macedonia, Niue, New Zealand, Netherlands, Montenegro, Mexico, Mauritius, Marshall Islands, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Latvia, Italy, Israel, Ireland, Hungary, Greece, Germany, France, Finland, Fiji, Ethiopia, Estonia, El Salvador, Denmark, Croatia, Costa Rica, Chile, Canada, Belgium, Azerbaijan, Austria, Angola and Albania.

COP26

• In November 2021, at the COP26 UNFCCC held in Glasgow, around 28 countries joined the alliance. With this, the total number of members in the alliance increased to 48. The new members were Poland, Ukraine, Chile, Mauritius, Estonia, Singapore, etc. However, India, China and the USA, the three major burners of coal did not sign.
• During COP26, the members of the alliance pledged to stop international investments in new coal power generation.