B.C.乌鸦传媒檚 mining sector is not concerned after Canada joined six other western countries in the phase-out of 乌鸦传媒渆xisting unabated coal power generation乌鸦传媒� by 2035.

Michael Goehring, president and chief executive officer of the Mining Association of British Columbia, said the agreement impacts thermal coal 乌鸦传媒� coal used in electricity generation.

乌鸦传媒淏.C. only produces steelmaking coal (or metallurgical coal) that is currently necessary for the production of steel,乌鸦传媒� Goehring said. 乌鸦传媒淭he G-7 decision does not have an impact on steelmaking coal, which is currently listed as a 乌鸦传媒榗ritical material乌鸦传媒� in the European Union.乌鸦传媒�

British Columbia is Canada乌鸦传媒檚 largest producer of coal, accounting for 59 per cent of all Canadian coal exports as of 2022/ It is also Canada乌鸦传媒檚 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.乌鸦传媒檚 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乌鸦传媒檚 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.乌鸦传媒檚 Energy Minister Josie Osborne said the announcement from the G-7 is in line with Canada乌鸦传媒檚 earlier promises to phase out thermal coal by 2030.

乌鸦传媒淪o I乌鸦传媒檓 encouraged to see the decision from the G-7 and I think it乌鸦传媒檚 a positive signal that industrialized countries are sending to the rest of the world about decreasing about our dependence on thermal coal. It乌鸦传媒檚 heavily polluting and we have alternatives,乌鸦传媒� 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.

乌鸦传媒�(Steelmaking coal from B.C.) is still going to be an important commodity for years to come.乌鸦传媒�

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