About
A new report on the health impacts from air pollution of all EU coal-fired power stations for which data is available (257 out of 280). We cooperated with the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe, the WWF European Policy Office to make this publication possible.
Executive summary
How coal-burning countries make their neighbours sick
EU coal-fired power stations are responsible for deaths, illnesses and billions of euros in health costs.
This report reveals that in 2013, emissions from EU coal-fired power stations were responsible for over 22,900 premature deaths, tens of thousands of cases of ill-health from heart disease to bronchitis, and up to EUR 62.3 billion in health costs.
For the first time, the report analyses how the harmful dust caused by coal plants travels across borders and the effect this has. Watch a visualisation of how pollution spreads around Europe here.
The five EU countries whose coal power plants do the most harm abroad are Poland (causing 4,690 premature deaths abroad); Germany (2,490); Romania (1,660); Bulgaria (1,390) and the UK (1,350).
The five EU countries most heavily impacted by coal pollution from neighbouring countries, in addition to that from their own plants are: Germany (3,630 premature deaths altogether), Italy (1,610); France (1,380); Greece (1,050) and Hungary (700).
The report shows that each coal power plant closed provides a major boost for the health not only of those living nearby, but also for those abroad: the UK planned phase-out of coal by 2025 could save up to 2,870 lives every year – more than 1,300 of them in continental Europe. If Germany decides to phase out coal, it could avoid more than 1,860 premature deaths domestically and almost 2,500 abroad every year.
