Publications

China’s power and steel industries continue to invest in coal-based capacity, complicating carbon goals

The heatwaves and droughts have once again underscored China’s vulnerability to climate change and extreme weather, strengthening the case for the country to act. The droughts and[…]

1-Year Later: China’s Ban on Overseas Coal Power Projects and Its Global Climate Impacts

One year after President Xi Jinping announced China would “not build new coal-fired power projects abroad“, there has been a significant dent in the country’s planned coal[…]

Financing Putin’s war: Fossil fuel exports from Russia in the first six months of the invasion of Ukraine

To shed light on who purchases Russiaʼs oil, gas and coal, and how the volume and value of imports have changed since the start of the invasion,[…]

Fossil fuel imports from Russia to South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan in the first five months of the invasion of Ukraine

This briefing assesses fossil fuel imports from Russia to three East Asian democracies, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, that have expressed support for Ukraine in its struggle[…]

Power system adequacy and “New Power System” development in China

China has pledged to peak carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, which has set a long-term goal for reducing emissions. The total amount[…]

Financing Putin’s war: Fossil fuel imports from Russia in the first 100 days of the invasion

To shed light on who purchases Russia’s oil, gas and coal, and how the volume and value of imports have changed since the start of the invasion,[…]

The Health & Economic Impacts of Ambient Air Quality in Malaysia

Air pollution in Malaysia is caused by emissions from a growing number of sources from industrial manufacturing, power generation, vehicles, and open burning activities. Additionally, biomass burning[…]

Shocked into action

In response to Russia’s aggression and soaring fossil prices, most EU Member States have announced significant increases in renewables deployment, while scaling down plans for fossil fuels.[…]

Health & Economic Impacts of the Lae- Papua New Guinea Coal Power Plant

The Lae Enviro Energy Park (EEP) coal-fired power plant is a proposed 52 megawatt (MW) project in Papua New Guinea being developed by Australia-based, Mayur Resources. If[…]

Failure to load: India’s power crisis is a coal management crisis

May 29, 2022 Going by coal stocks in thermal power stations (TPPs), India’s current power crisis is unlikely to be resolved soon. The onset of the southwest[…]

False fix: the hidden health impacts
of Europe’s fossil gas dependency

First of its kind analysis on the health harm of burning fossil gas shows that in 2019 alone, burning fossil gas for power (and heat) generation caused[…]

Financing Putin’s war on Europe: Fossil fuel imports from Russia in the first two months of the invasion

Corrected version: we detected errors in our data on pipeline gas imports into the EU; these have been corrected. We have also improved the allocation of gas[…]

Health impacts of Chandrapur Super Thermal Power Station, Maharashtra

With a capacity of 2,920 megawatts, the Chandrapur Super Thermal Power Station (CSTPS), around 150kms south of Nagpur in Maharashtra – is one of the state’s biggest[…]

Air Quality, Health and Economic Impact Assessment of the Jambi-1 Coal Power Plant

PLTU Jambi-1 is a proposed 2 x 300 MW independent power producer (IPP) coal-fired power plant in Sarolangun, Jambi, Indonesia that will burn low-rank coal reserves on[…]

Health Impacts Assessment of the Integrated Steel Plant, JSW Utkal Steel Limited in Odisha, India

JSW Utkal Steel Limited, an Indian steel company, has proposed an integrated steel plant for the production of 13.2 MTPA crude steel near the Paradip port in[…]

Tracing the Hazy Air : Progress Report on National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)

With India’s infamous air pollution levels gaining traction from the global press and local activists, the Centre, in January 2019, launched the country’s first National Clean Air[…]

Bridge to Death: Air Quality And Health Impacts of Fossil Gas Power

Gas power’s role as a bridge in energy transition is widely accepted in South Korea, and the country’s 9th Basic Plan for Long-term Electricity Supply and Demand,[…]

Air quality, health and toxics impacts of coal power and coal mining in Coahuila, Mexico

The Carbón 1 & 2 power plants, with a combined capacity of 2,600 megawatts(MW), in Coahuila, North Mexico, constitute the largest coal-burning facility andone of the largest[…]

Aiming Higher: Benchmarking the Philippine Clean Air Act

Twenty years after the passing of the Philippine Clean Air Act, a new report by CREA and the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) entitled “Aiming[…]

Emission Watch – Status assessment of SO₂ emissions and FGD Installation for coal-based power plants in Tamil Nadu

This report produced with Poovulagin Nanbargal and Asar, we looked at status of emission and FGD (Flue Gas Desulphurisation) installations at coal-based power plants in Tamil Nadu.[…]

SOUTH ASIA – RIPE FOR CLOSURE: Ready for fossil phase out

A new report released by CREA and TransitionZero looks at electricity demand and supply in Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh, where close to 75 GW of excess fossil[…]

EUROPE – RIPE FOR CLOSURE: Accelerating the energy transition and saving money by reducing excess fossil fuel capacity

Health Impacts of Coal Power Plant Emissions in Ukraine

Ukraine is home to some of the most highly emitting coal power plants in Europe and in the world. Coal-fired power plants in Ukraine are responsible for[…]

Comply or Close – How Western Balkan coal plants breach air pollution laws and cause deaths and what governments must do about it

For the past three years, new air pollution standards should have brought reductions in harmful emissions from coal plants across the Western Balkans. But in 2020, sulphur[…]

CO2 Emissions from Pakistan’s Energy sector

Pakistan is one of the most vulnerable countries to the adverse impacts of climate change, as well as air pollution. A report by German Watch in 2019[…]

China key regions meet modest winter air quality targets, as cleaner heating offsets swelling industrial emissions

China’s three key air pollution control regions met their modest winter targets as efforts to reduce heating-sector emissions and improved end-of-pipe controls in industrial plants offset a[…]

The Health and Economic Cost of Coal Dependence in South Korea’s Power Mix

Public outcry over air pollution in South Korea has led to national commitments of phasing out coal by 2054. Despite South Korea having strong emissions standards in[…]

Boom and Bust

A steep increase in coal plant development in China offset a retreat from coal in the rest of the world in 2020, resulting in the first increase[…]

Projecting the health impacts of alternative phase-out timelines for the Šoštanj power plant

The Šoštanj lignite power plant is ranked the most polluting industrial facility in Slovenia by the European Environment Agency. Air pollutant emissions from the plant expose a[…]

Air Quality, Health & Toxic Impacts of Proposed Coal in Vietnam’s Power Development Plan VIII

CREA‘s analysis of air pollution related impacts and costs of proposed coal power projects under Vietnam’s draft Power Development Plan 2021-2030 (PDP VIII) with a vision to[…]

Health and Economic Impacts of Unabated Coal Power Generation in Delhi-NCR

Coal-based power plants are a major source of air pollution in India. After notification of emission standards for coal plants in December 2015, it’s been six years[…]

China Dominates 2020 Coal Plant Development

New coal power investments are on the rise in China. In 2020, China built over three times as much new coal power capacity as all other countries[…]

Pollution from coal power costs Turkey as much as 27% of its total health expenditure – new report

Turkey is pushing ahead with plans to double its coal power capacity with 30 new coal power stations despite major health impacts and costs linked to the[…]

Air Quality & Health Impacts of Coal-fired Power in the Philippines

This report “Air Quality & Health Impacts of Coal-fired Power in the Philippines” studies how the existing coal capacity of 10 GW in the country is responsible[…]

China Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and Domestic 14th Power Five-Year-Plan (FYP)

To achieve the Paris Agreement target to limit the average global temperature rise this century below 2°C, emissions from the energy sector would need to peak as[…]

Does India need new coal mines to meet it’s 2030 demand?

The recent announcement by the Indian Government to auction coal blocks to private companies for commercial use of coal gathered mixed reactions from various stakeholders. Some called[…]

Air quality, health and toxics impacts of the proposed coal power cluster in Chattogram, Bangladesh

This study on Air quality, health and toxics impacts of the proposed coal power cluster in Chattogram, Bangladesh presents insight on the proposed eight coal-fired power plant[…]

Transboundary Air Pollution in the Jakarta, Banten, and West Java provinces

Air pollution in Indonesia’s capital city and surrounding provinces has been increasing with Jakarta recording 172 days of “unhealthy” air quality in 2019. The report “Transboundary Air[…]

Ranking the World’s Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Hotspots: 2019-2020

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a colourless air pollutant that is invisible to the human eye, widespread and hazardous to human health. Breathing SO2 increases the risk of[…]

Health Impacts of Germany’s Proposed Coal Power Plant Emissions Limits

German hard coal and lignite-fired power plants are among the worst industrial polluters in Europe, responsible for an estimated 4,400 deaths in 2013, second only to Poland.[…]

Coal power projects accelerate after COVID-19 lockdown: A New Coal Boom in China

This briefing “A New Coal Boom in China” shows that the slowing down of new coal plant developments in China has come to an end. The Chinese[…]

Impact of COVID-19 led lockdown on Air Pollution Levels in Bengaluru

The report “Impact of COVID-19 led lockdown on Air Pollution Levels in Bengaluru” analyses the local air quality data from 26 locations in Bengaluru, India and looks[…]

Air Quality and Health Impacts of the Proposed EMBA Hunutlu Coal Power Project

Four new coal plant projects are planned in the Iskenderun Bay area, with the EMBA Hunutlu project being the closest to coming into existence. This 2 x[…]

Air quality, health and toxics impacts of the proposed coal mining and power cluster in Thar, Pakistan

A cluster of coal mines and power plants is proposed in the Thar region of Pakistan which will host 9 power plants with a total capacity of[…]

Air quality, health and toxics impacts of the proposed coal power cluster in Payra, Bangladesh

A massive cluster of coal-fired power plants, with a total of 8 power plants and a total capacity of 9.8 gigawatts is being proposed in Payra, Bangladesh,[…]

How air pollution worsens the COVID-19 pandemic

Past and current air pollution exposure around the world is worsening the unfolding COVID-19 epidemic. Millions of people were already suffering from chronic diseases and disabilities or[…]

Boom and Bust 2020: Tracking the Global Coal Plant Pipeline

The global coal fleet grew by 34 gigawatts in 2019. However, for the fourth consecutive year, the number of new coal power developments decreased in 2019. More[…]

Air quality, toxic and health impacts of the Turow power plant

Quantifying the Economic Costs of Air Pollution from Fossil Fuels

This paper is the first to assess the global economic burden caused by air pollution from fossil fuels. It incorporates many recent first-of-a-kind findings, including the first[…]

Air Pollution in China 2019

CREA analysis of China’s air pollution trends, progress and setbacks in 2019. We found the Beijing and Shanghai regions have seen big improvements in air quality this[…]