Global Fossil Fuels and Climate Policy

An Associated Press report from Bangkok details how the Iran war’s disruption of oil and liquefied natural gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz is driving Asian countries to burn more coal, undermining climate goals and deepening reliance on the dirtiest fossil fuel. With much of Asia dependent on imported fuel that normally transits Hormuz, India is preparing to meet a record summer peak of about 270 gigawatts largely with coal and says it has roughly three months of coal stockpiled, while South Korea has lifted caps on coal‑fired generation and Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam are also boosting coal power. China, already the world’s top coal producer and consumer, has added record coal‑power capacity since 2021 for “energy security,” and Indonesia, the largest coal exporter, is now prioritizing domestic use over exports, a move analysts warn could tighten global supplies and push prices higher. Experts quoted in the piece say coal is functioning as an emergency backstop to LNG shortfalls, but warn this “short‑term fix” worsens urban smog, slows investment in renewable energy, and increases planet‑warming emissions even as climate‑driven droughts force countries like China to burn more coal when hydropower falters. The pattern shows how a war thousands of miles from the U.S. is disrupting a key maritime chokepoint, reshaping Asian fuel choices, and complicating global efforts—including those backed by Washington—to cut greenhouse‑gas emissions and stabilize energy markets.