19/12/2025 (Agence Europe) – In its annual report on coal markets, the International Energy Agency (IEA) revealed on Wednesday 17 December that, after two years of double-digit declines, demand for coal in the European Union has fallen only slightly (-2%). This was due to the decrease in hydroelectric and wind power generation, which led to an increase in coal-fired electricity generation during the first half of the year. Global demand for coal is set to rise by 0.5% in 2025, reaching a record level of 8.85 billion tonnes. This is due to China’s demand for coal in recent years. In the United States, coal consumption had been falling for 15 years, but the rise in natural gas prices and the political measures that have slowed the closure of coal-fired power stations have led to an increase in consumption. To see the IEA report: https://aeur.eu/f/k3n (PLD)