New Delhi, Aug. 15 -- Five countries - China, India, Australia, Russia, and South Africa - account for nearly 92% of the world's proposed coal capacity, a report by US-based Global Energy Monitor (GEM) has found, highlighting the concentration of future coal development even as countries shift towards cleaner energy. China alone has 1,321 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of coal mining capacity in development which is more than the rest of the world combined. It is also more than twice India's 638 Mtpa proposed capacity, according to the report which is based on 2025 data. "Coal mine development became even more concentrated in 2025, with just five countries - China,India, Australia, Russia, and South Africa - accounting for nearly 92% of proposed capacity (2,314 of 2,521 Mtpa), up from 89% in 2024. Development activity was once again dominated by China, which has 1,321 Mtpa in development, more than all other countries combined. In all,these trends highlight that coal's global persistence is increasingly driven by a limited number of countries rather than broad-based global demand," the report states. India recorded the sharpest increase in planned coal development in 2025, with proposed mining capacity nearly doubling to 658 Mtpa from 329 Mtpa a year earlier, the report said. "If built,the projects would commit India - a country with no formal coal phase-out timeline - to years of coal expansion, and would put a 1.5degC-aligned transition away from fossil fuels farther out of reach," it said. The report, which draws on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker, said proposed global coal mining capacity increased 11% in 2025 to 2,521 Mtpa. China had 557 Mtpa of late-stage capacity, of which about 81%, or 450 Mtpa, consisted of underground mines, which generally take longer to develop. India's late-stage pipeline was much smaller at 101 Mtpa, but about 90% of it consisted of surface mines....