Morupule coal mine in Botswana poco_bw / Alamy Stock Photo

The world’s last great untapped coal deposit is about to go up in smoke. Botswana is sitting on vast amounts of coal and is ramping up efforts to mine and export it. But climate scientists warn that to meet the world’s climate goals most of it has to stay in the ground.

Botswana’s coal was discovered in the 1960s but has remained virtually untouched, largely due to the country’s small population and lack of infrastructure for exports. But several companies are now developing the coalfields and the …