Informe Paralelo sobre ESPAÑA relativo a la contaminación del aire y cambio climático

This parallel report, submitted to the Committee on the Rights of the Child by the International Institute for Law and the Environment (IIDMA) and the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), argues that Spain's continued reliance on coal-fired power plants violates children's rights to health and a sustainable environment. The document details the health impacts of air pollution on children, the role of coal in greenhouse gas emissions, and the legal exceptions Spain has used to bypass European Union emission limits.

• Coal-fired power plants in Spain contribute significantly to air pollution, which disproportionately affects vulnerable groups, particularly children. Specific pollutants such as PM2.5, NO2, and SO2 are linked to systemic inflammatory responses, respiratory damage, and increased mortality.
• Emissions from Spanish coal plants have caused substantial health issues in children. Data from 2015 indicates these emissions caused 68,613 asthma attacks in children, both within Spain and across borders. A 2017 IIDMA study focused on 2014 data found that coal emissions in Spain were linked to 10,521 cases of asthma symptoms and 1,233 cases of bronchitis in children.
• Regional health impacts vary, with Asturias being the most affected Autonomous Community. In Asturias, 9.4 per 1,000 asthmatic children suffered bronchitis symptoms due to continuous NO2 exposure, followed by Cantabria (4.5 per 1,000) and Castilla y León (2.7 per 1,000).
• Spain has consistently utilized legal exceptions to avoid adhering to the strictest European Union emission limit values (VLE) for its coal plants. These include the National Transitional Plan (PNT) allowing higher emissions until June 30, 2020, the Limited Useful Life Exception (EVUL) for plants committing to limited operating hours until December 31, 2023, and the Small Isolated Grid Exception (EPRA) valid until December 31, 2019.
• Spain's greenhouse gas emissions have shown a concerning trend compared to other EU members. Emissions in 2015 were 16.6% higher than in 1990. In 2015, coal power plants were responsible for over 53,000 kilotonnes of CO2, representing 60.3% of the total emissions from combustion installations in Spain.
• The report criticizes the Spanish government for attempting to hinder the closure of coal plants. In response to a company's request to close two plants in November 2017, the Ministry of Energy, Tourism and Digital Agenda drafted a Royal Decree to make closures more difficult, citing supply security and price impacts while ignoring children's rights.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2017). Informe Paralelo sobre ESPAÑA relativo a la contaminación del aire y cambio climático. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/España-Informe-Paralelo.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Informe Paralelo sobre ESPAÑA relativo a la contaminación del aire y cambio climático. 2017. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/España-Informe-Paralelo.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Informe Paralelo sobre ESPAÑA relativo a la contaminación del aire y cambio climático |date=15 December 2017 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/España-Informe-Paralelo.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2017informe, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Informe Paralelo sobre ESPAÑA relativo a la contaminación del aire y cambio climático}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2017}, month = dec, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/España-Informe-Paralelo.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }