“Anti-colonial” energy sources: Latin America has become one of the drivers of the green transition

Because of the crisis in Iran, faint calls in support of coal could also be heard in Europe, although the continent has suffered far less from the current energy crisis than Asia has. For example, the Italian parliament approved postponing the country’s coal phaseout to 2038 (though coal accounts for only about 1.5% of electricity generation in the country).

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz did not rule out the possibility that some German coal-fired power plants would have to remain in operation for longer than planned but did not call into question the country’s target date of 2038 for phasing out coal entirely. Coal generation still makes up about one-fifth of electricity production in Germany.

At the global level, the statistics are far from alarming. In March and April 2026, coal-fired power generation worldwide was only 1% higher than during the same period in 2025. At the same time, wind and solar generated more electricity than gas for the first time ever. Gas-fired generation in March and April remained at the same level as during the corresponding periods last year, while wind and solar generation increased by nearly 8%.

In its report last year, the International Energy Agency (IEA) projected that coal demand would peak before the end of this decade even if current energy policies remain unchanged. Additionally, according to the agency’s estimates, demand for oil and gas could begin to decline after 2030 and 2035, respectively, if countries implement their announced energy policy measures.

So far, there appears to be little reason so far to revise these expectations. Moreover, over the past month, two significant developments have occurred that could weaken the position of fossil fuels in the medium and long term and, consequently, bring forward peak demand: the world’s first global conference on phasing out fossil fuels, held in Santa Marta, Colombia, and the adoption of a UN resolution supporting countries’ obligation to protect the environment from greenhouse gas emissions, appear to signal the the future course of global energy consumption.