Given its size, reserves and global production and consumption base, the global coal industry will continue to play a key role in the 21 st Century. However, the coal industry faces substantial challenges that will impact on the future size and profitability of the industry worldwide. The coal industry is geographically and politically diverse.
Individual companies hold views across the full policy spectrum in the climate change debate.
These views often reflect the circumstances of the company's production or marketing interests. Half of the global coal consumption is in countries listed under Annex I of the Kyoto Protocol. The future of the industry will depend on how a number of risks or uncertainties are addressed over the coming decade. Coal supplies over one-quarter of the total global primary energy demand and will continue to be a key partner in the energy sector and contributor to improving living standards worldwide. Industrial consumption of coal in cement and steel production is also a significant market for the global coal industry.