Coal, leadership, and the crossroads of change amid climate ambitions

The global energy transition is not unfolding in straight lines.

- July Ndlovu

It is a contested and uneven process where climate ambition often collides with infrastructure gaps, and global priorities clash with local needs. Few sectors embody this tension more than coal: a fuel still essential to energy access, industrial growth, and economic stability in many regions, yet increasingly under pressure to wind down.

This is the central paradox. The world must decarbonise with urgency, but it cannot do so while leaving behind the billions who still lack reliable, affordable energy. This is where leadership is most needed, and where the coal industry now stands.

For over a decade, coal has been pulled in opposing directions. It has been tasked with delivering affordable power while reducing emissions, criticised in global forums yet relied upon in national emergencies. It has generated jobs, revenues, and development, even as it faces accelerating divestment and tightening regulation.

In this environment, the industry has had to respond, not only operationally, but strategically. It must stay reliable, become cleaner, and adapt to a future still taking shape. Whether coal remains part of the global transition, or is unfairly excluded, will depend on the quality of leadership guiding that evolution.