[adolph]

the aluminium industry consumed 6% of all global coal-fired electricity in 2019 – more coal-fired electricity than is generated in the whole of Europe – and is actually becoming more reliant on coal at a time when the world is becoming less reliant on coal.

https://ember-climate.org/commentary/2020/10/06/aluminium/

The aluminium sector has a pivotal role to play here. Accounting for 1.1 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions per year, it generates around 2% of global human-caused emissions. Demand for aluminium, an essential material for several key industries including construction, transportation and power transmission, is expected to grow by more than 50% by 2050. As such, emissions must be addressed now.

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/11/the-aluminium-industr...

[AlexanderDhoore]

"at a time when the world is becoming less reliant on coal"

No, we aren't becoming less reliant on coal. We should be but we aren't. Look at [1]. We actually consume more coal, oil and gas each and every year.

[1] https://ourworldindata.org/energy-mix

[barelysapient]

Depends by who you mean by 'we'.

If you mean America, then coal consumption is down by nearly 50% since 2000[1]. If you mean the EU, then you'll be pleased to know we've also reduced our coal consumption substantially.

The principle increase in coal use is China. They've almost 4x their use of coal in the last 20 years. They also are leading the world in construction of new coal consuming power plants -- both in China and elsewhere[2].

[1]https://www.iea.org/reports/coal-2020/demand [2]https://www.wired.com/story/china-is-still-building-an-insan...

[anonporridge]

> Depends by who you mean by 'we'.

Climate change is a global problem, so the only 'we' that really matters is the whole planet.

The western world decarbonizing after spending well over a century spewing carbon to build out their modern infrastructure is nothing to be deeply proud about, nor sufficient to give the moral high ground to start pointing fingers at the developing world that still wants to get closer to western lifestyles.

[Damogran6]

We’re just outsourcing our pollution.

[anonporridge]

Great point.

Similarly, we didn't actually abolish slavery. We in the west are still benefiting from literal chattel slavery. It's just not happening in our backyard, so we don't have to see it, even if we're still benefiting from it.

[imtringued]

Around 14% of China's CO2 emissions can be attributed to exports. If you count the other 86% you're basically saying China is a western colony which it clearly isn't.

[Damogran6]

If you wish to get pedantic about it, we push our manufacturing desire to places in the world that leverage the lack of employee rights, ecological controls, and resource utilization because it's cheaper.

It's not JUST that we've moved (okay, some percentage) of pollution over there, it's that we've decided to turn a blind eye to ANYTHING you couldn't get away with in America (think overtime, OSHA controls, EPA restrictions, intellectual property theft, money movement)...that does not absolve China from taking care of it's own ecology, which it 'appears' to be doing at a faster rate than us...because they don't have the shackles a pesky democracy or rights or any of those other things that go counter to their desire to control absolutely everything within and without its borders.

https://www.chinaghostcities.com/ https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-10-17/China-steps-up-expandi... https://chinaenv.colgate.edu/airpollution/air-pollution-in-c...

I used to think it'd be a wave that followed cheap labor...I hope it doesn't as I don't think the planet has enough runway to support it.

[CameronNemo]

And where do most Chinese exports go to?

[itzprime]

Yes, but that is mainly due to the US & EU using more gas.

[fulafel]

And "reliant" - most of it goes to goods and services that are just nice to have.

[sumedh]

> The principle increase in coal use is China.

because it builds products for US and EU?

[smallerfish]

Good link, but to be fair it looks like it's leveled off since 2011. Oil & gas are continuing to grow, as are solar & wind.

[conductr]

Relative numbers can be misleading and saying coal consumption has decreased is actually false. We’re not doing Mother Earth any favors by sustaining very high consumption but the average reader would believe it’s a green trend.

[smallerfish]

I didn't say decreased, I said leveled off. Mouse over and compare 2011 with 2019.

Of course we need to cut coal usage as far as possible, if not completely.

[conductr]

I know but the parent comment and original post said something like “less reliant on coal” which is a relative interpretation and your “leveling off” comment illustrates my point about how relative figures get misconstrued because you can’t exactly become less reliant on something when your consumption remains the same.

[AniseAbyss]

In Europe the alternative for coal in heavy industry is natural gas and we all know how that's working out right now.

[hasmanean]

Why don’t they just like Bitcoin with electricity and use the waste heat in the electrolyte melting process?

Using electricity to heat anything is wasteful when it could be used to waste clock cycles on cryptocurrency instead, first.

[murderfs]

Because they're not using it for heat, they're using it for electrolysis.