WWF report “Europe’s dark cloud: How coal-burning countries are making their neighbours sick”

Concerns about the impacts of Europe’s dependence on coal power generation on health, the environment and climate change have grown steadily in recent years.

An ever larger alliance of health and medical professionals, climate experts and environmental groups are demanding a full phase-out of coal in Europe, which will improve air quality and public health and mitigate climate change.

On top of the commitment European countries made at the climate summit in Paris, which will need Europe to plan the phase out of fossil fuel use, this report provides new evidence on why a phase-out of coal power generation is also urgent from a public health perspective.

The ‘Dark Cloud’ report quantifies for the first time the cross-border health impacts of air pollution from coal use in electricity generation in the European Union. It also provides an in-depth assessment of the 30 plants with the highest negative health and climate impacts.