One topic at the global climate talks in Dubai this week is coal.
The Asian Development Bank has started a program to help countries cut their climate emissions by reducing the amount of coal they burn.
But that's a complicated matter in many parts of the Asia Pacific.
A coal-fired power plant on the Indonesian island of Java will be retired seven years ahead of schedule.
It’s part of a new program backed by the Asian Development Bank, to help countries pick up the pace of transition away from coal and toward renewable energy.
Overall, that transition is still gradual. In this case, the coal plant will close in 2035, instead of 2042.
The ADB is leading a refinancing of the power plant project with an earlier end date.
The bank’s senior climate change energy specialist said it’s like lowering finance costs for a mortgage so a borrower can pay it off faster.
The idea is to use this model across Asia where coal is often still the primary driver of electricity.
The ADB is working on similar programs in the Philippines and Vietnam in Southeast Asia, as well as Pakistan in South Asia and Kazakhstan in Central Asia.
Despite that progress, the region’s dependence on coal remains steep.
For example, Indonesia’s goals for energy transition include generating 44% of the country’s electricity from renewable sources within seven years.
Currently, solar and wind together account for less than 2% of Indonesia’s electricity.
