Parallel Report on SPAIN concerning air pollution and climate change

This parallel report, submitted by the Instituto Internacional de Derecho y Medio Ambiente (IIDMA) and the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, argues that Spain's continued reliance on coal-fired power plants violates children's rights to health and a sustainable environment. The authors highlight the severe respiratory impacts of air pollution on children and the contribution of these plants to global climate change, urging the Spanish government to phase out coal power.

• Coal-fired power plants in Spain are linked to significant respiratory health issues in children. A 2017 IIDMA study estimated that in 2014, emissions from these plants caused 10,521 cases of asthma symptoms in asthmatic children and 1,233 cases of bronchitis in children within Spain. Additionally, a separate update based on 2015 emissions data indicated that Spanish coal power plants caused 68,613 asthma attacks in children both inside and outside of Spain.
• Spain has 15 coal-fired power plants with a total installed net capacity of approximately 10,004 MW. These plants are primarily concentrated in the north of the Iberian peninsula, specifically in the Autonomous Communities of Asturias, Castilla y León, and Galicia, with others located in Andalucía, Aragón, and the Balearic Islands.
• Spanish authorities have consistently used legal derogations to allow coal plants to exceed stricter European Union emission limit values (ELVs). These include the Transitional National Plan (TNP), which allows higher emissions of SO2, NOx, and particles until June 30, 2020; the Limited Lifetime Derogation (LLD); and the Small Isolated Systems Derogation (SISD).
• Coal power plants are a primary driver of greenhouse gas emissions in Spain's electricity sector. In 2015, coal plants were responsible for over 53,000 kilotonnes of CO2, representing 60.3% of all emissions from Spain's combustion installations.
• The report alleges that the Spanish government is actively hindering the closure of coal plants. In response to an application by an energy company to close two plants in November 2017, the Ministry of Energy, Tourism and Agenda Digital drafted a Royal Decree intended to make the closure process more difficult based on energy price and security of supply arguments.
• Spain's greenhouse gas emissions in 2015 remained 16.6% higher than 1990 levels, making it the EU member state with the largest increase since 1990. While emissions peaked in 2007 and fell during the economic crisis, the reduction trend halted after 2013.
• The report identifies Asturias as the most affected Autonomous Community regarding NO2 emissions, where 9.4 out of 1,000 asthmatic children experienced bronchitis symptoms due to long-term exposure. Cantabria (4.5 per 1,000) and Castilla y León (2.7 per 1,000) were also among the most affected.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2017). Parallel Report on SPAIN concerning air pollution and climate change. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/CRC_Spain_ComplementaryReport_2017-12-15.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Parallel Report on SPAIN concerning air pollution and climate change. 2017. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/CRC_Spain_ComplementaryReport_2017-12-15.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Parallel Report on SPAIN concerning air pollution and climate change |date=15 December 2017 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/CRC_Spain_ComplementaryReport_2017-12-15.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2017parallel, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Parallel Report on SPAIN concerning air pollution and climate change}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2017}, month = dec, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/CRC_Spain_ComplementaryReport_2017-12-15.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }