China accounted for two-thirds of new global coal plant capacity in 2023, report finds

The world added more coal power capacity last year than any year since 2016, with China driving most growth and future planned capacity, according to new research. 

A report by Global Energy Monitor released Thursday found that net annual coal capacity grew by 48.4 GW, representing a 2% year-over-year increase. China alone accounted for about two-thirds of new coal plant capacity. 

Other countries that brought new coal plants online included Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Japan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Korea, Greece and Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile, other countries such as the U.S. and U.K., slowed their rate of plant closures, with only about 22.1 GW retired last year — the smallest amount since 2011. 

The authors of the GEM report recommended countries commit to shutting down coal plants at a faster pace, and for nations like China to adopt stricter controls on the development and usage of new plants. 

"Otherwise we can forget about meeting our goals in the Paris agreement and reaping the benefits that a swift transition to clean energy will bring," said Flora Champenois, a Global Energy Monitor analyst. 

The Paris Climate agreement, signed by most global governments in 2015, set long-term goals for substantially reducing greenhouse gas emissions, caused by fossil fuels like coal. Coal power capacity, however, continues to steadily grow.

China has separately set a goal of reaching net-zero by 2060. President Xi Jinping said in 2021 that China would "strictly control coal consumption" up to 2025 and "phase down coal consumption" thereafter. 

Yet, according to data from GEM, China started construction on 70.2 GW of new coal-power capacity last year, nearly 20 times as much as the rest of the world's 3.7 GW. The country also only retired