Q+A: Coal’s not going anywhere. So what do we do about it?
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Why is coal back in the spotlight amid Middle‑East conflicts and energy security concerns?
Welcome to Fear and Greed QA, where we ask and answer questions about business, investing, economics, politics, and more. I'm Sean Aylmer. The conflict in the Middle East has put energy security firmly back on the agenda. Disruptions to global energy supplies have pushed prices higher, and increased demand for alternatives, including coal. It comes at a fascinating point in the energy transition. Renewable capacity continues to grow, but The world still consumes enormous amounts of coal. So is coal enjoying a temporary reprieve or have predictions of its decline underestimated? How long the world will need it? Michelle Manook is CEO of Future Coal, formerly the World Coal Association. Michelle, welcome to Fear and Greed QA.
Thanks, Sean. Thanks for having me. I read what you said at the National Press Club in Canberra a few weeks back and my first question to you is, does coal have a PR problem?
I I think it's a fair question. I think we've definitely um not done well with our PR, but what we really haven't done well is educating people on what coal is um and what it can do and and how integral it is to our everyday life and everyday industries like electricity, like steel, like chemicals, infrastructure. and and where we actually are in terms of technology and innovation for um coal in terms of also qualifying it to be part of any kind of clean energy format. So I think that's been a a big part of our failing as an industry, but not just an industry as a coal value chain because just as I explained before, it is much more complicated than just um coal electricity. It is just so integral to everything we do.
So when we talk about I mean clean energy and coal How does that sit? Um, we all think, I suppose, about uh different types of cold, you know, metallurgical cold, thermal cold, that type of thing. And in a sense, the The general view is that coal is a bad, right? But in a transitioning world, and none of us are arguing that we aren't transitioning, where does coal fit? How can it be cleaner than what it is now? And, you know, where do we end up with coal?
Well, I probably would argue about transitioning energy because we really don't have a direct replacement for you know good baseload, reliable, affordable energies that exist around the world, whether that be coal, whether that be gas, whether that be nuclear. So I think I've always been one and certainly supported by our members, not to really dig into energy transition, but to really talk about energy diversity. Um an energy addition. And that doesn't mean there's not a place for renewables, but we know, as has been the IPCC guidance, that there's no a hundred percent credible renewable scenario. And so this idea that we're talking about an energy transition away from something that is reliable, affordable, and provides a kind of energy security that's
necessary is is quite irresponsible. So I think we've got to really focus on Um creating an energy system that is all around those factors that are so critical to how we actually live, operate, and become productive, you know, as a as a general economy and and and beyond. And in terms of um clean um energies, and you know, that in itself is a loaded question, isn't it? Because we you've got to really look at um the entire Life cycle of any energy or any particular operation before you make that assessment. So I sort of steer away from that, but go more to the facts around: are there technologies that exist today to support coal being a participant? And the answer to that is yes. And in fact, modern coal energy, if we're talking about electricity, modern coal systems are much more efficient.
and far more cleaner than they ever have been. And the information that's been put out. on coal has been misinformation. You're talking about old technologies that are well outdated. You've got Japan and China operating, you know, some of the most efficient plants in the world and even looking at um you know CCS and CCUS as part of their ongoing um commitment to that. um clean clean transition.
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Chapters
3 chapters
1
Why is coal back in the spotlight amid Middle‑East conflicts and energy security concerns?
0:05–5:03
2
Does coal have a public‑relations problem and how can better education change perception?
5:03–11:27
3
How can coal be part of a clean‑energy mix without compromising its traditional uses?
11:27–12:07
Speakers
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