Balkan Energy Coordinator
Email: davor AT bankwatch.orgTel.: +389 71 264 087
More from Davor Pehchevski
One of the leading reasons for the extremely polluted air are the outdated and substandard coal-fired power plants in the region. The 16 plants operating in the Western Balkan countries emit as much sulphur dioxide and dust pollution as the entire fleet of coal plants in the EU.
Ukraine’s air pollution problem is not receiving the attention it deserves, neither at the national nor at international levels. The authorities are dragging their feet on both monitoring air quality and emissions reductions measures, and the international community allows continuous delays and deadline extensions for Ukraine’s major polluters, which impact the air quality throughout Europe.
The wind of change is still far from Galabovo
May 5, 2020 | Read more
The Maritsa East Complex in Bulgaria, the largest energy complex in South-East Europe, has become notorious in the region and in the European Union for its complete disregard for environmental and social safeguards.
Bankwatch’s ongoing air pollution campaign added six more locations to its independent particulate matter monitoring to provide on-the-ground data from these major polluting locations.
Western Balkan countries are stuck in a loop of long, gloomy winters with extremely high air pollution. The number of times the air quality has exceeded the limit values over the last decade remains so high, that the very point of having those limit values is lost. In order to prevent episodes of air pollution that often reach values that are more than ten times above this limit, and to provide at least some level of protection for human health, additional urgent measures are required by the governments to supplement the long term strategies.
