The impact of replacing coal with natural gas is clearly illustrated south of the border, where it has helped drive down U.S. emissions by 14 per cent since 2005. Switching from coal to natural gas has also been a key driver of the European Union’s world-leading emissions reduction. Meanwhile, non-OECD emissions keep going up and now account for nearly three-quarters of the global total. China, the world’s largest emitter of CO2, derives 70 per cent of its electricity from coal. Plants fueled by coal also emit toxic compounds and lung-clogging particulates that lower life expectancy by as much as 10 years for the millions of citizens living in smog-darkened cities.