2016年是歐洲在許多層面上發(fā)生變化的一年。對煤炭行業(yè)而言，隨著對煤炭的政治思考在行業(yè)內(nèi)外產(chǎn)生影響，變革的影響變得更加突出。然而，隨著變化出現(xiàn)了一些熟悉的控制措施。煤炭行業(yè)在歐盟能源結(jié)構(gòu)中的地位保持不變，可靠地供應(yīng)了約四分之一的歐盟電力。2016年，歐盟開采了3.71億噸褐煤或褐煤，另有1.67億噸進口煤補充了8700萬噸硬煤產(chǎn)量。煤炭仍然是歐盟的一項重要業(yè)務(wù)。1897年，馬克吐溫的訃告在一家美國報紙上錯誤地發(fā)表了。今天，我們在《紐約時報》、《明鏡周刊》、《英國衛(wèi)報》和許多其他報紙上看到了煤炭即將消亡的消息。用吐溫先生的話來說，需要說的是，“關(guān)于煤炭死亡的報道被大大夸大了”，如今的煤炭工業(yè)是一個每年70至80億噸的龐然大物，供應(yīng)著全球40%以上的電力。在某種程度上，世界上所有的鋼鐵都是用煤從鐵礦石中生產(chǎn)出來的。2016年11月4日，《巴黎協(xié)定》生效，這是在歐盟批準這項國際協(xié)定30天后，從而使簽署國數(shù)目超過了商定的門檻。在全球范圍內(nèi)，人們可以看到推動能源部門采用新技術(shù)實現(xiàn)現(xiàn)代化，這一切都是為了響應(yīng)實現(xiàn)我們的氣候目標的首要政治要求，而不太重視競爭性市場。在全球煤炭工業(yè)中，關(guān)于高效、低排放（HELE）技術(shù)和碳捕集和儲存（CCS）的討論，以及對煤和捕獲二氧化碳（CCU）在化學(xué)品和燃料中的替代用途的討論。此外，隨著可再生能源份額的增長，傳統(tǒng)的火力發(fā)電在平衡風(fēng)能和太陽能等間歇性可再生能源方面的作用變得更加重要。煤炭不會消失，煤炭行業(yè)為其在全世界提供的電力比任何其他能源都要多而自豪。在所有的基本商品中，電力是最文明的。然而，該行業(yè)被指責(zé)通過空氣污染導(dǎo)致氣候變化和過早死亡，盡管這些環(huán)境影響的解決方案即將出臺。那么問題是，是否應(yīng)該優(yōu)先考慮這些解決方案的實施，而這些解決方案的實施都要付出社會必須承擔(dān)的代價。在歐洲，燃煤電廠的二氧化硫、氮氧化物和粉塵排放量自1990以來大幅減少，并將繼續(xù)降至非常低的水平。自20世紀70年代以來，經(jīng)合組織成員國的煤炭使用量不斷增長，人均壽命從70歲提高到80歲。使用更多的煤有助于減少能源貧困和改善許多人的生活條件。根據(jù)歐盟對收入和生活條件的官方調(diào)查，隨著能源價格的上漲，歐盟的能源貧困正在加劇，影響到5400萬公民，約占總?cè)丝诘?0%。在電價成為政治關(guān)注對象的成員國，煤炭的可承受性往往使其成為發(fā)電的首選燃料。雖然煤炭在整個歐盟都很重要，但對許多成員國來說，煤炭至關(guān)重要。丹麥三分之一的電力和德國近一半的電力來自煤炭——在布魯塞爾你很少聽到這些事實。保加利亞、希臘和捷克共和國大約一半的電力來自煤炭和褐煤。在波蘭，超過80%的發(fā)電依賴于煤炭和褐煤。然而，根據(jù)《巴黎協(xié)定》和歐盟的嚴格氣候目標，煤炭、石油和天然氣被視為過渡化石燃料，因為它們最終與低碳、氣候友好型經(jīng)濟體格格不入。

The year 2016 was a year of change in Europe on  many levels. For the coal industry, change took on  a larger profile as political thinking towards coal  had repercussions within the sector and beyond.  Yet, with change came some familiar refrains. The coal sector retains its position in the EU  energy mix, reliably suppling around one quarter  of EU electricity. In 2016, the EU mined  371 million tonnes of brown coal or lignite, while  87 million tonnes of hard coal production were  supplemented by a further 167 million tonnes of  imported coal. Coal remains an important  business in the EU. In 1897, Mark Twain’s obituary was published – by mistake – in an American newspaper. Today, we  read in the New York Times, in Der Spiegel, in the  UK Guardian and in many other newspapers of the  imminent demise of coal. It needs to be said, in  Mr. Twain’s words, “The reports of coal’s death  are greatly exaggerated.” The coal industry today  is a seven- to eight-billion tonne per year behemoth that supplies over 40% of global  electricity. All of the world’s iron and steel has, at  some point, been produced from iron ore using  coal. On 4 November 2016, the Paris Agreement  entered into force, thirty days after the EU had  ratified this international accord and thus taking  the number of signatories above the agreed  threshold. Around the world, one can see a push  to modernise the energy sector with new  technologies, all in response to the overarching  political imperative to meet our climate targets,  with less emphasis on competitive markets. In the  global coal industry, discussions on highefficiency, low-emission (HELE) technologies and  carbon capture and storage (CCS) intensified, as  well as on alternative uses of coal and captured  carbon dioxide (CCU) in chemicals and fuels, for  example. Moreover, the role of conventional  thermal power generation to balance intermittent  renewables, such as wind and solar, became more  important as the share of renewables grew. Coal is not about to go away and the industry  stands proud in the knowledge that coal provides  more electricity around the world than any other  energy source. Of all the basic commodities,  electricity is the most civilising. Yet, the industry is  accused of causing climate change and premature  deaths through air pollution, even though  solutions to these environmental impacts are to  hand. The question then is whether to prioritise  implementation of these solutions which all come  at a cost that society must bear. In Europe, emissions of sulphur dioxide, oxides of  nitrogen and dust from coal-fired power plants  have been massively reduced since 1990, and will  continue to be reduced to very low levels. Since  the 1970s, coal use has grown in the OECD  countries, while life expectancy has risen from  seventy years to eighty years. Using more coal  has helped to reduce energy poverty and improve  the living conditions of many people. According to  the official EU survey of income and living  conditions, energy poverty in the EU is rising with  rising energy prices, affecting 54 million citizens or  around 10% of the total population. Coal’s  affordability often makes it the fuel of choice for electricity generation in those member states  where electricity prices are the subject of political  attention. While coal is important across the EU, for many  member states it is essential. A third of  Denmark’s electricity and almost half of  Germany’s electricity comes from coal – facts that  you will rarely hear in Brussels. Around half of  electricity in Bulgaria, Greece and the Czech  Republic is generated from coal and lignite. In  Poland, over 80% of electricity generation  depends on coal and lignite. Yet, in light of the Paris Agreement and the EU’s  tough climate targets, coal, oil and natural gas are  viewed as transition fossil fuels, because they are  ultimately incompatible with a low-carbon,  climate-friendly economy.