A coal power station in Počerady, Czech Republic kamilpetran

Electricity generation from coal power stations across Europe fell by nearly a fifth over the first half of this year, the steepest decline ever recorded.

The sudden drop, driven by buoyant carbon prices and new installations of wind and solar farms, has led campaigners to say that 2019 may mark the beginning of the end for coal in Europe. Around half of the coal was replaced by gas plants and the rest by renewables, according to an analysis by the London and Brussels-based think tank Sandbag.

The dramatic switch away …