WCA Publications

Cornerstone (2013)

Cornerstone is the new, official publication of the world coal industry. It will address key issues facing the energy community in the areas of environmental challenges, sustainable development and technological innovations, amongst others.

Coal Matters (2012)

Coal Matters is a series of fact sheets which provide a general overview of coal, supported by key facts and statistics. The titles available are:

Coal Matters 1 - Coal in the Global Energy Supply

Coal Matters 2 - Global Availability of Coal

Coal Matters 3 - Coal and Electricity Generation

Coal Matters 4 - Coal and Modern Infrastructure.

Coal - Energy for Sustainable Development (2012)

Across the world there are 1.3 billion people without access to electricity. Coal is an essential resource for meeting the challenges facing the modern world. It plays a major role in delivering electricity access across the globe and it is fundamental in the creation of the crucial building blocks of sustainable communities - steel and concrete, as well as providing energy for transport.

This latest WCA publication demonstrates the vital role coal has in delivering energy to the 1.3 billion people who lack access to it. It also demonstrates coal's role in building sustainable communities. New technologies and business practices mean coal will be a key part of a low carbon future.

CCS & the Clean Development Mechanism (2008)

At present Carbon Capture and Storage projects do not qualify for inclusion under the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and cannot be included until Parties that have ratified the Kyoto Protocol make a decision allowing this. WCA has prepared a submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) outlining how CCS meets the objectives and criteria of the CDM and should be eligible to receive credits under the CDM.

This document is only available electronically

Case Studies

The coal industry actively works to improve its environmental performance and enhance its contribution to social and economic development. In order to highlight some of the work being undertaken, WCA publishes project case studies covering all aspects of sustainable development. Case studies are only available electronically in PDF format.

Coal: Delivering Sustainable Development (2007)

Coal: Delivering Sustainable Development outlines the role and responsibility of coal in the pursuit of sustainable development. The brochure was specifically prepared for the 15th session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, held in New York in April 2007.

This document is only available electronically.

Coal: Liquid Fuels (2006)

Coal: Liquid Fuels reviews the potential of coal to liquids, or coal liquefaction, in meeting future demand for oil. Coal liquefaction is not a new technology - it was developed and has been utilised since the early 20th century. In South Africa, for example, coal liquefaction already meets 30% of oil demand. However, interest in CTL technology has been renewed by volatile oil prices and energy security concerns.

This document is only available electronically.

Coal Meeting the Climate Challenge
- Technology to Reduce GHG Emissions (2007)

Coal Meeting the Climate Challenge examines the potential of CCS technology in enabling carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions to atmosphere from coal use to be significantly reduced. It also looks at the role that can be played by improving efficiency levels at coal-fired power stations.

Coal Meeting Global Challenges (2006)

In May 2006 the World Coal Association published Coal: Meeting Global Challenges, which outlines the vital role played by coal in meeting the global challenges of the 21st century.

This document is only available electronically.

The Coal Resource - A Comprehensive Overview of Coal (2005)

The Coal Resource covers all aspects of the coal industry and is designed to explain the basics of the industry - from how coal is formed through to its production, use and environmental impacts.

The Coal Resource is also available in: French; German; Indonesian; Japanese (14Mb); Mandarin (23Mb); and Spanish

Coal: Secure Energy (2005)

Coal: Secure Energy examines the importance of coal to energy security worldwide. As global demand for energy continues to rise, energy security concerns become ever more important. Coal has a unique role to play in meeting the demand for a secure energy supply.

This document is only available electronically.

Coal & Steel (2007)

Coal is vital to the iron and steel industry - it is used in almost 70% of steel produced today. This report provides a comprehensive account of the role of coal in the global steel industry. *Please note there is an error in the 'Coal Fact' box on page 7 of the report. The statistic should read that around 0.75 tonnes of coke are produced from 1 tonne of coking coal.*

Key Elements of a Post-2012 Agreement on Climate Change (2007)

WCA released its policy paper Key Elements of a Post-2012 Agreement on Climate Change in November 2007. The paper outlines WCA's recommendations on the key elements it thinks should form the basis of the post-2012 regime framework.

This document is only available electronically.

Securing the Future - Financing CCS in a Post-2012 World (2009)

In November 2009, WCA published a new report "Securing the Future - Financing CCS in a Post-2012 World". The report compares the support of CCS to that given to other low carbon technologies, suggests next steps to overcome current barriers, gives funding options and discusses the costs of accelerating the widespread deployment of CCS.

Storing CO₂ Underground (2007)

The World Coal Association and IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme collaborated to produce this brochure on Storing CO₂ Underground. The brochure describes each stage of carbon capture and storage technology.

The brochure is also available in other languages: Arabic; French; Japanese; Mandarin; Portuguese; and Spanish