Coal Power Ecological Destruction in the Western Balkans
Coal power in the Western Balkans is damaging homes, devastating health and livelihoods and ruining small scale agriculture. The governments of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina must move away from coal power, restore the region‘s biodiversity and compensate affected people.
The Western Balkans has some of Europe‘s highest air pollution levels. Both countries source most of their energy from fossil fuels, especially domestically produced coal, with little regard for its impact on local communities.
A recent expansion has been funded by controversial Chinese-backed investments, often without environmental impact assessments and despite China’s commitment to cease funding coal power.
This has exposed local communities and farmers to pollution, land erosion and loss of livelihood.
Many have fought for years to be re-located or fairly compensated. They have lost their land and livelihoods, seen their houses and farm buildings crumble around them and their health deteriorate.
In a new report Coal Power Ecological Destruction in the Western Balkans FIAN International and local civil society groups highlight the harm inflicted by coal power and call for justice for affected communities and for Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina to phase out coal power in line with their international human rights obligations, the Paris Agreement, and the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans.
The report was compiled with the Center for Ecology and Sustainable Development (Centar za ekologiju i održivi razvoj, CEKOR) in Serbia, the Center for Environment (Centar za životnu sredinu, CZZS), and the Aarhus Center (Aarhus Centar) in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
English full report, Executive Summary, and Key Recommendations.
Serbian full report, Executive Summary, and Key Recommendations.
Bosnian full report, Executive Summary, and Key Recommendations.
