Two great new websites on all things coal

Over the last years, we've seen remarkable progress in the fight against coal and the pollution and climate risks coming with it.

Not only have international financial institutions adopted policies to all but limit support for coal plants. But a global movement has stopped new coal plants and mines almost everywhere.

In the European Union, 109 proposed coal-fired power plants have been defeated. Since China’s air pollution crisis, mainly due to massive coal burning, 10 of China’s 34 provinces have banned the construction of new coal-fired power plants. Coal-burning in the US has dropped by 21% after peaking in 2007. US groups have defeated 179 new coal-fired power plants, and more than 177 existing plants are slated for retirement.

Yet a lot still needs to be done to end our addiction to coal once and for all – the Western Balkans being a case in point. Two new websites launched this week now offer a slew of information about the remaining challenge and how to tackle it.

coalbanks.org

While Bankwatch focuses on public financial institutions, our friends at BankTrack are taking on commercial banks for ten years already. This week BankTrack launched the new ‘Coal banks' website that

“provides extensive data about the banking industry's ongoing deep links with the coal industry, and gives people around the world an opportunity to directly encourage banks to finally end their coal financing.” (BankTrack press release)

Worryingly, their extensive research shows that 2013 constitutes a record year for private banks' support to coal, with a four-fold increase since 2005.

endcoal.org

Launched today by a group of environmental, social justice and health advocates from around the world, endcoal.org is a resource for local communities, activists, students and researchers who want to learn more about the problems with coal and solutions to meet global energy needs. The website is packed with resources and news on all things coal.

Most impressive thought is the site's interactive map and database that tracks all planned coal plants around the world since 2010. The Coal Plant Tracker, developed by CoalSwarm, allows you to find out how many coal plants are planned in any given country, track stages of development, and access more detailed information on the projects.

If you thought there was no need to campaign against coal, just take a look at Turkey for example: