Energy ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) major democracies have made a historic decision to shut down their coal-fired power plants in the first half of the 2030s, marking a significant step towards the transition away from fossil fuels. Italian energy minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, who is chairing the G7 ministerial meeting in Turin, announced that a technical agreement has been reached and a final political deal will be sealed on Tuesday.
The ministers will issue a final communique detailing the G7 commitments to decarbonize their economies. They are also considering potential restrictions on Russian imports of liquefied natural gas to Europe, with the European Commission set to propose measures in the short-term.
The agreement on coal is in line with the direction set by the COP28 United Nations climate summit last year to phase out fossil fuels, particularly coal, which is the most polluting. Italy, which produced 4.7% of its electricity from coal-fired stations last year, plans to shut down its plants by 2025, except for those in Sardinia, which will close by 2028.
Germany and Japan, where coal plays a larger role in electricity production, will also be phasing out coal-fired power plants. The G7 nations are also looking at nuclear energy and biofuels as options for decarbonizing power generation and transportation.
Additionally, there may be a push for a six-fold increase in battery capacity by 2030 to store renewable energy, which is intermittent. The G7 ministers are set to address these issues and more in their final communique on Tuesday.