Western Balkans coal plants break pollution limits

Coal power plants in the Western Balkans are releasing more than six times the legal limit of sulphur dioxide, a new Bankwatch report says.

The report covers old coal plants in Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Serbia.

It says sulphur dioxide emissions were 6.6 times above the allowed level last year, eight years after pollution rules came into force.

Dust pollution also rose to its highest level since those rules began in 2018.

Bosnia had the worst sulphur dioxide pollution, followed by Serbia.

Bankwatch said governments had not fined the plants and still had no clear plans to make them meet the rules or shut them down. (RFE)