Indonesia and the Philippines, meanwhile, have joined a plan backed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to retire coal-fired power plants early. As it cuts back on coal use, it plans to double wind and solar power generation capacity to between 31 and 38 gigawatts by 2030. Vietnam aims to go coal-free as part of its drive to be carbon neutral by 2050.

Many major banks worldwide have agreed to stop financing the coal industry, in line with pledges made by more than 40 countries - notably not including China and the US - to shift away from coal. To support the government's drive to cut emissions by 29% over the next 10 years, Indonesian banks have pledged to increase funding for environment-friendly projects to US$56 billion. Those pledges are part of an attempt to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels - a level that scientists say would avoid its most destructive consequences. The pledge by Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati was among dozens announced at the ongoing United Nations climate summit known as COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland. About 65% of the country's energy is generated from coal, which is the single biggest contributor to climate change. The world's biggest exporter of thermal coal said previously it planned to phase out coal for electricity by 2056, as part of a plan to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2060 or earlier. Indonesia, the world's eighth biggest emitter of greenhouse gases (GHG), pledged last Wednesday to phase out coal-fired power plants by 2040 if it gets sufficient financial help from the international community. Southeast Asia, in particular, is among the most vulnerable regions because of the high economic activity along its long coastlines, and its heavy dependence on agriculture, forestry and other natural resources.

Countries across the world orchestrated similar commitments last week with the aim of reversing the adverse impacts of the greatest threat facing humanity today, which is climate change.

Mr. friendly half life