The economic forecast this year is bleak, no matter where you are. When faced with an uncertain future, economies usually opt for their best bet. For many countries, when it comes to energy source, that safe house is coal.

Yes, the dreaded fossil fuel that doomsayers believe to be the planet destroyer. Coal is being treated as an economic elixir.

The fossil fuel industry has made some staggering advancements that the mainstream media conveniently ignore, while promoting the “end of oil” storyline during the lockdown.

The demand for fossil fuels fell sharply following the lockdown in March and April. With vehicles off the road and businesses shutting down, the demand for energy was at a historic low in many leading economies.

Analysts say coal suffered the biggest hit from the COVID-19 lockdown, and some even declare that coal will never recover.

Obviously coal took the biggest hit. Coal dominates the global energy sector, amounting to 40 percent of all electricity. But the way nations look at coal and the future is quite different from the anti-fossil media’s view.

Asia’s Relentless Thirst for Coal Knows No COVID-19

Asia is a coal powerhouse. With most Asian countries in the developing stage, and with coal being, in most places around the world, the least expensive fuel from which to generate electricity, there is a high demand for coal and other fossil fuels.

Despite the decreased demand during lockdown, the world’s coal giant, China, produced a staggering 830 million tons of coal, dropping production by only 0.5 percent  in the first three months of 2020. It is expected to revive its coal sector after the COVID-19 slump. China National Coal Association forecasts an “improvement in the second half of 2020” due to the government’s stimulus coming out of the crisis.

China also has numerous projects for building coal plants and supplying coal to many countries, especially those in Africa.

The Philippines, Indonesia, and India are also champions of coal. While Indonesia is the world’s largest exporter of thermal coal, India is the second largest consumer.

India displayed its unwavering commitment to coal when it included it among measures to help the economy get back on track after the lockdown. While announcing the stimulus package for COVID-19, Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the country would spend US$6.6 billion  to create infrastructure to transport coal. She also announced the privatization of the coal mining sector, thus opening doors for commercial companies to develop and extend it further.

India has spent a considerable amount of its stimulus package on coal, indicating its heavy reliance on coal as the primary energy source.

It is important to remember that most of these Asian countries aim to increase their coal consumption in the future—looking at the next few decades—despite being a part of the anti-fossil fuel Paris climate agreement.

The downfall of coal and other fossil fuels is likely to be short-lived. As economies reopen and countries push to make up for lost growth, demand for coal will be higher than ever.

Featured image adapted from photo by Dominik Vanyi on Unsplash