B.C.含羞草研究社檚 mining sector is not concerned after Canada joined six other western countries in the phase-out of 含羞草研究社渆xisting unabated coal power generation含羞草研究社� by 2035.

Michael Goehring, president and chief executive officer of the Mining Association of British Columbia, said the agreement impacts thermal coal 含羞草研究社� coal used in electricity generation.

含羞草研究社淏.C. only produces steelmaking coal (or metallurgical coal) that is currently necessary for the production of steel,含羞草研究社� Goehring said. 含羞草研究社淭he G-7 decision does not have an impact on steelmaking coal, which is currently listed as a 含羞草研究社榗ritical material含羞草研究社� in the European Union.含羞草研究社�

British Columbia is Canada含羞草研究社檚 largest producer of coal, accounting for 59 per cent of all Canadian coal exports as of 2022/ It is also Canada含羞草研究社檚 largest exporter of steelmaking coal, and coal consistently fetches the highest returns relative to other mined exports. In 2022, for example, coal accounted for 67 per cent of all B.C.含羞草研究社檚 mineral production valued at $18.2 billion with copper (17.8 per cent) a distant second.

B.C., however, has had a history of thermal coal production, and thermal coal produced in other provinces ships to global markets through B.C. with most shipments going to Asia.

Steelmaking coal production is expected to range between 24 million to 26 million tonnes, up from 23.7 million tonnes in 2023, according to a guide issued by Teck Resources January. Production is expected to remain at these levels throughout 2025 to 2027, the company noted. Canada, led by B.C., accounted for 2.4 per cent of global steemaking coal production in 2022.

Environmentalists point to thermal coal含羞草研究社檚 contribution to climate change. The emergence of cheaper alternative energy sources such as wind and solar power has raised questions about the economics of thermal coal, and several leading energy companies are getting out of the thermal coal business.

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B.C. does not burn thermal coal for power, but four Canadian provinces do. Coal contributed to 51 per cent of energy produced in Alberta and 30 per cent in Saskatchewan in 2021, followed by Nova Scotia (15 per cent) and New Brunswick (four per cent).

B.C.含羞草研究社檚 Energy Minister Josie Osborne said the announcement from the G-7 is in line with Canada含羞草研究社檚 earlier promises to phase out thermal coal by 2030.

含羞草研究社淪o I含羞草研究社檓 encouraged to see the decision from the G-7 and I think it含羞草研究社檚 a positive signal that industrialized countries are sending to the rest of the world about decreasing about our dependence on thermal coal. It含羞草研究社檚 heavily polluting and we have alternatives,含羞草研究社� Osborne said.

Osborne pointed to the ongoing use of thermal coal by countries like China and India. These two accounted for almost 61 per cent of total global production

Meanwhile, several western countries are testing technologies to replace steelmaking coal with hydrogen in the production of so-called green steel.

Osborne said that technology is still under development and steelmaking coal remains in high demand.

含羞草研究社�(Steelmaking coal from B.C.) is still going to be an important commodity for years to come.含羞草研究社�

The G-7 consists of Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.