WCA welcome new IEA Executive Director

Dr Faith Birol is the new International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director as of 1 September. Birol was previously Chief Economist and Director of Global Energy Economics, overseeing the Agency’s most prominent publication, the World Energy Outlook, and also brings to this post twenty years of experience within the IEA.

The World Coal Association welcomes Dr Fatih Birol as the new Executive Director of the International Energy Agency. Benjamin Sporton, WCA CEO, stated that the WCA is eager to work with Dr Birol in promoting low-emission technologies in order to meet climate and energy objectives and accelerate the deployment of such technology.

He explained: “The IEA has recognised the role that needs to be played by high-efficiency low-emission (HELE) coal technologies and carbon capture, use and storage (CCS) in reducing global emissions. This is particularly important given IEA figures show that global electricity from coal is expected to grow by around 33% to 2040. We are confident that under Dr Birol’s leadership the IEA will work to advance solutions to the energy and climate challenges we face.”

Sporton concluded: “The WCA looks forward to working with such an outstanding expert during this crucial period as we approach COP21 in Paris. We particularly encourage Dr Birol to support the WCA’s global Platform for Accelerating Coal Efficiency (PACE). Improving the efficiency of the global coal fleet is a significant step in reducing global CO₂ emissions. Raising the average efficiency of the global coal fleet from the current 33% to 40% would save 2 gigatonnes of CO₂ emissions – equivalent to India’s annual CO₂ emissions or running the Kyoto Protocol three times over.”

Edited from press release by Harleigh Hobbs

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/coal/02092015/wca-welcome-new-iea-executive-director-2802/