The Biden administration is reportedly committing to the United States preventing the building of any new coal plants and phasing out existing ones.
U.S. Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry announced the initiative at the annual United Nations climate change summit, or COP28.
Although no timeline was given for when the existing plants would be terminated, Kerry noted that the administration would be working to “phase-out” coat across the world.
“We will be working to accelerate unabated coal phase-out across the world, building stronger economies and more resilient communities,” Kerry said in a statement.
“The first step is to stop making the problem worse: stop building new unabated coal power plants.”
Kerry said the United States was partnering with the Powering Past Coal Alliance, a group of nearly 60 countries that have promised to accelerate the phasing out of coal-fired power stations.
He claimed the action forms part of America’s plan to limit global warming to 1.5 Celsius.