Kolkata, India - News Direct - 21 November 2023 - After 38 years the World Coal Association (WCA) will cease and usher in a new era under the transformative branding: FutureCoal – The Global Alliance for Sustainable Coal. Unveiling the new brand logo and identity at a dedicated press conference in Delhi, FutureCoal Chief Executive, Michelle Manook, said the change responded to a call from coal and coal allied sectors to modernise, and unite under a common purpose. The FutureCoal organisation will now open its doors representing major and strategic players across the entire coal value chain. The organisation advocates for an inclusive all fuels and all technologies international policy framework to support the sovereign rights of all coal producing and consuming nations and those nations and stakeholders which genuinely seek to support them. “For too long our global coal value chain has allowed anti-coal sentiment to dominate and fragment us, which has resulted in a lowering of the global coal IQ. This has diminished the capacity and progress of many vulnerable developing and emerging nations, but also now we see, those of some developed nations. “FutureCoal may seem bold to some but for many it is simply representative of the reality we are confronted with. The total contribution of coal to our modern society and the growing global population should neither be dismissed nor disregarded. Coal and more specifically, a wider definition of abated coal solutions exists and will be needed in any energy transition. This critical resource is a legitimate participant in both economic development and emissions abatement,” she said. The FutureCoal Global Alliance will embed this transformation through Sustainable Coal Stewardship (SCS). The SCS platform allows coal-based economies like India and China and like-minded nations, and corporations to form collaborations to advance a progressive and technology and solutions led international coal value chain industry. Ms Manook added that “The total contribution made by the coal value chain in sectors including power, steel, cement, aluminium, chemicals, and renewables infrastructure is in the order of hundreds of billions and is an interconnected global supply chain. This cannot be ignored but equally it can only be secured by our value chain acknowledging that change must occur. If we are to be responsible, then we need to be inclusive, and unite under our common purpose. We know that we must emerge and demonstrate a modernised, innovative and technology led UNITED coal value chain, focused on continuing to make a substantial future contribution to people’s lives and livelihoods.” Many coal producing and consuming nations, governments, industry and investors have signalled their intent to be officially associated with and join the FutureCoal global organisation. FutureCoal Chairman July Ndlovu said, “You have asked, and we have responded. The platform for collaboration, in the best interests of our global community, now exists - in FutureCoal. The leaders of this new legacy understand that this is our responsibility to the future. That this future is before us. And that this future is now.”

Backgrounder

(1) What is FutureCoal?

The FutureCoal Global Alliance is the world’s only multi-lateral, neutral and progressive organisation representing the entire coal value chain which is dedicated to raising awareness on the significant total contribution of coal.

The Global Alliance educates on the critical resource coal and its immense and continued involvement in bettering the lives and livelihoods of our global community. The Alliance recognises that as an integrated coal value chain, we must serve to support both economic and environmental national and international ambitions. It opens up new avenues of collaboration and unites all coal and coal allied sector stakeholders representing thermal, metallurgical, renewable supply chains and coal innovation sectors with corporate members and national industry partners based in major coal economies and markets including Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mongolia, New Zealand, South Africa, Russia, United States, and Zimbabwe. It believes that coal, when used responsibly and sustainably, can contribute significantly to botheconomic growth and environmental sustainability. FutureCoal is underpinned by Sustainable Coal Stewardship.

(2) What is Sustainable Coal Stewardship?

Sustainable Coal Stewardship (SCS) provides a pathway which supports extracting more value per tonne of coal. Value is determined and measured in both economic and environmental benefits. SCS describes an intent, approach and a broader definition of the abatement opportunities that the coal value chain has to modernise and transform their coal and allied businesses to meet and advance the needs of our...