Is there such a thing as clean coal?

The idea of "clean coal" generally refers to processes that aim to reduce the environmental impact of coal energy production, particularly its carbon emissions and other pollutants. However, coal itself is a fossil fuel that produces significant greenhouse gases when burned, along with other harmful pollutants like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. These emissions contribute to air pollution and climate change, and so the term "clean coal" is often considered somewhat misleading.

While technologies such as carbon capture and storage (CCS) can mitigate some of the emissions associated with burning coal, they do not eliminate them entirely. As a result, many experts argue that the term "clean coal" does not accurately describe the environmental effects of coal. Therefore, asserting that there is no such thing as clean coal aligns with the prevailing scientific understanding that coal inherently has environmental drawbacks regardless of the methods used to improve its cleanliness.