United States President Donald Trump has signed Executive Orders to boost coal production in the US, pushing back against global sentiment that seeks to reduce the harmful effects of fossil fuels like coal on the environment and a warming planet.

At an event at the White House, Trump said they were slashing unnecessary regulations that targeted coal while promising to rapidly expedite leases for coal mining on federal lands.

Today, @POTUS took action to unleash American energy and lower the cost of living:

✅Increase American coal production
✅Improve grid security
✅Protect American energy from state overreach
✅Lift unnecessary regulations on the coal industry

PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT! pic.twitter.com/g23cGcFQV4

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 9, 2025

Coal is a reliable source of energy that is also known for its high levels of pollution, among other negative climate impacts.

The coal industry has been in decline over the last decades in the US amid a global push towards renewable energy sources.

Trump also signed a proclamation granting coal-fired power plants a two-year exemption from federal requirements to reduce the emission of toxic chemicals while ordering the Energy Department and other agencies to study whether more coal-powered stations could supply electricity for AI-driven data centres.

The move flies in the face of efforts at the United Nations, driven by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who has long called for the phasing out of fossil fuels as a key part of efforts to avoid a climate catastrophe.

He has called for the full phase-out of coal for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries by 2030 and 2040 for all others.

UN Chief calls on World leaders to accelerate transition from fossil fuels: