Global energy access objectives, environmental problems and poverty alleviation are all challenges that can be met through a continued use of clean coal, according to Catelin.

The WCA has this year launched its inaugural Leadership and Excellence Awards, which are designed to promote innovation and research within the industry with the aim of meeting these challenges.

“The global coal industry takes these concerns very seriously and will continue to look at ways to reduce its environmental footprint. Too often, however, the contribution that can be made to reducing emissions by low-emission coal technologies is overlooked,” Catelin told ILN.

“[The awards] recognize and commend what has and can be achieved by developing and utilizing technologies to reduce the environmental impacts associated with our energy consumption.”

The awards will cover four categories chosen as areas the WCA has identified as important for future energy sustainability. Awards for excellence in environmental practice, low-carbon technologies, innovative coal technologies and mining safety will be awarded at the International Coal and Climate Summit.

Catelin said he hoped the awards would raise awareness of how the industry was working to meet the challenges it faced.

“There can be some very dated perceptions of the coal industry and we hope that these awards, which recognize leadership and excellence across a range of issues, will showcase how the modern industry operates. We also hope it will encourage a healthy level of competition amongst other companies to lift their performance in these areas.”

For each of the awards, the judges will be looking for evidence of an innovative approach, good potential for wider application and cost-effective deployment prospects, with the winners receiving a specially commissioned award from the WCA at the summit.

The summit will be held in Warsaw in November and is one of the largest events the WCA has hosted.

Leaders of the world’s largest coal companies will be in attendance alongside senior political figures, policy makers, NGO representatives, academics and business leaders and according to Catelin, the summit provides the opportunity for these key industry representatives to discuss the role of coal in the global economy and take steps to address the challenges it currently faces.

“It is important for us as an industry to come together to consider pragmatic actions that can be taken to deliver on economic development goals, affordable energy and industrial growth whilst managing the expectations of people worldwide on climate change and other environmental challenges,” Catelin told ILN.

“We do not expect an energy and climate policy framework which is pro-coal but there is evidence to support a rational and effective approach to energy and climate policy that should not be anti-coal.”

The summit will be held alongside the COP19, the latest round of UN climate negotiations, providing a unique opportunity for the global coal industry to demonstrate the vital role coal plays in responding to climate change concerns.

“Poland is an ideal location for these discussions to take place.

“Coal is fundamental to energy supply and economic development in Poland, providing fuel for 90% of its electricity. The Polish government has recognized the value in involving the coal industry in discussions on environmental and development issues, rather than excluding coal from the debate.”

Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Janusz Piechocinski, will open the summit, giving a keynote speech alongside Dr Zhang Xiwu, WCA chairman and the chairman of Shenhua Group, and Professor Jerzy Buzek, a member of the European Parliament.

The International Coal & Climate Summit will focus on a high-level dialogue in four main areas: clean coal policies, policy context for clean coal in the EU, breakthroughs in clean coal technologies and financing clean coal.

The summit will be held at the Ministry of Economy of Poland on November 18-19.

Nominations remain open until September 16 and can be entered by companies and organizations working in the field of coal mining, coal use or coal technologies, including non-WCA member and companies that are not producing coal.