The one crucial point that IMO is very false: That the US is "already ahead". The US produces around 2-2.5x the CO2 per capita compared to EU and China (which interestingly are similar now after China's economic rise).

Coal isn't really relevant. What's most relevant is the way you do housing and living: Poorly isolated homes spread across the countr, far from work and cultural centers, with its inhabitants insiting on having 20C in summer and 23C in winter and driving huge trucks to work alone.