annexure-b-1-ae05ca5f3c13a16f.pdf

A letter from the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) to the South African Minister of Health, requesting the Department of Health's participation in the Highveld Priority Area (HPA) Multi-Stakeholder Reference Group meetings to address the severe health impacts of air pollution.

• The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) and groundWork represent community organisations seeking the implementation of Air Quality Management Plans (AQMPs) in three priority areas: the Vaal Triangle Airshed Priority Area (VTAPA), the Highveld Priority Area (HPA), and the Waterberg Bojanala Priority Area (WBPA).
• Despite the HPA being declared in 2007, air quality remains extremely poor with frequent exceedances of health-based standards, with Eskom's twelve coal-fired power stations identified as the largest contributor.
• Eskom applied for postponements from the minimum emissions standards (MES) for 14 of its coal-fired power stations in December 2013; the Department of Environmental Affairs granted a majority of these, meaning many emissions continue to exceed standards and violate constitutional rights to health.
• An assessment by Lauri Myllyvirta estimates that air-pollution emissions from Eskom's coal-fired power plants cause between 2,200 and 2,700 premature deaths annually, including 200 children, and result in a loss of 45,000 IQ points per year due to mercury emissions, costing South Africa R30-billion annually.
• Projections for Eskom's "emissions reduction plan" suggest that excess emissions could cause approximately 20,000 premature deaths over the life of the plants, including 16,000 children, and a loss of 280,000 IQ points, with an estimated economic cost of at least R220-billion.
• A 2014 groundWork report indicates that in the Mpumalanga Highveld, 24% of childhood deaths (under five) due to acute respiratory infections were estimated to be from indoor air pollution, while outdoor pollution caused 1.1% of child mortality in South African urban areas.
• Cardiovascular diseases in the Mpumalanga area are attributed to outdoor pollution; it is estimated that for every 10 ug/m3 reduction in PM2.5 levels, 8% to 18% of lives lost to cardiovascular deaths could be saved.
• Eskom's own 2006 health impact reports found that eight of its power stations were cumulatively responsible for 47 deaths and 661 respiratory hospital admissions per year, representing 3.0% and 0.6% of total deaths and respiratory admissions respectively.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (n.d.). annexure-b-1-ae05ca5f3c13a16f.pdf. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Annexure-B-1.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. annexure-b-1-ae05ca5f3c13a16f.pdf. n.d. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Annexure-B-1.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=annexure-b-1-ae05ca5f3c13a16f.pdf |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Annexure-B-1.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrightsndannexureb1ae05ca5f3c13a16fpdf, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{annexure-b-1-ae05ca5f3c13a16f.pdf}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Annexure-B-1.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }