Using coal and other fossil fuel plants to produce electricity causes significant greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. To meet our global climate goals, many coal and gas power plants will need to be decommissioned ahead of schedule. For example, coal use needs to drop sharply from 37% of global power generation as of 2019, to no more than 2.5% by 2030.  This phaseout process is especially important in the Majority World, where many nations have more recently developed fossil fuel infrastructure that provides access to energy for millions of people in vulnerable communities, often for the first time. 

With this in mind, if Majority World nations are going to phase out their fossil fuel plants, replace them with clean generators, and keep up with rising energy demand in the process, they will need financial support from wealthier nations. Without assistance, many countries may be unwilling to sacrifice or interrupt their growth by getting rid of their dirty electricity when richer countries prospered using dirty electricity for decades at their expense. Moreover, As of 2019, over 600 million people across the globe still do not have access to electricity. There’s an opportunity here to service these communities with clean energy from the ‘ground up’, especially given solar and wind energy’s capacity to support local grids, or microgrids, which are considered more climate resistant, and reduce the need for expensive grid infrastructure.

Discard 1 card from your hand, then remove 1 Dirty Energy token from your player board for each Energy tag in this card's stack.

• Phase out unabated coal and fossil gas electricity generation (Systems Change Lab)

• How to phase out fossil fuels without leaving people behind (World Resources Institute, WRI)

• Who gets to keep burning fossil fuels as the planet heats up? (Vox)

• Support an organization such as Sustainable Energy for All, which is working to bring access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy by 2030 for everyone.

• Support clean energy initiatives in your community, such as installing solar panels or supporting community wind projects.

• Ask your elected officials to say no to new coal and fossil fuel plants, and if you live in a wealthier nation – to support Majority World nations in phasing out fossil power.