There appears to be concerning news for Coal India employees. Globally, the coal industry will see several mine closures as cheaper energy sources such as wind and solar power become more popular. Countries will be affected differently depending on whether they have relevant policies in place and the type of policies they implement to phase out coal usage/mining.
This does not bode well for the 74,800 Coal India employees whose jobs are in jeopardy until 2050. In India’s coal sector, it is estimated that for every direct worker, there are four indirect workers.
Globally, there are approximately 4,300 active mines and projects, which account for more than 90% of global coal production. According to statistics released by the Global Coal Mine Tracker, which covers nearly 2.7 million workers in coal mines, approximately half a million workers will be laid off in the mining industry over the next decade or so. According to a Global Energy Monitor report, approximately 100 workers may be out of work by 2034.
China and India will bear the brunt of the consequences of these mine closures. In Asia alone, coal mines employ approximately 2.2 million people. China employs over 1.5 million coal miners and produces more than 85% of its coal, or 50% of global output.
Shanxi, Henan, and Inner Mongolia are Chinese provinces that produce more than one-fourth of the world’s coal. Naturally, they provide a living for 32% of all coal miners worldwide. This equates to approximately 8.7 lakh people. About half of this number is employed in India’s coal mines.
