The forgotten fossil fuel: barriers and leverage points in phasing out metallurgical coal

Humanity must rapidly stop building new coal infrastructure and phase-out coal to keep the 2C target alive. Although metallurgical (met) coal, i.e. the coal used in iron and steel production, stands for 16% of global coal consumption, it has so far been left out of the discussion on coal phase-out policy. This study aims to fill this gap by exploring what it takes to phase out metallurgical coal on a global level. It does so by narratively situating met coal in three distinct perspectives of deliberate decline - substitution, destabilisation, and unmaking - based on data collected through interviews, desktop study and policy process observation. The analysis reveals similarities and differences between the metallurgical and thermal coal phase-outs. It further identifies knowledge, economic, institutional, power, and discursive barriers to phasing out met coal and locates leverage points in research, policy, coalition-building, discursive struggle, and grassroots action. The study concludes that while met coal sits firmly in its saddle today, its future looks turbulent.