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Whittling Away the Health and Climate Benefits from a Canada-Wide Coal Plant Phase-0ut?
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) urges the Federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change to ensure the 2030 coal-fired power plant phase-out is not undermined by a reliance on natural gas. CAPE recommends amending regulations to shorten the 'useful life' of coal generators to 40 years, enforcing stricter emission rates for gas plants, and requiring that at least two-thirds of generation be replaced with renewable energy. The organization highlights that a successful phase-out could prevent 1,000 premature deaths and 900 hospital visits while reducing greenhouse gases by up to 325 Mt between 2015 and 2035.
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Document type: Statement
Innovative Funding for Sustainable Aviation Fuel at U.S. Airports
The report identifies a significant price gap between sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and conventional jet fuel as the primary barrier to adoption. It proposes that U.S. airports, specifically the Port of Seattle at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, can overcome this by funding 'co-benefits'—such as air quality improvements and greenhouse gas reductions—rather than the fuel commodity itself. The authors evaluate 14 funding mechanisms and recommend a portfolio including corporate support, port taxing authority, general non-aeronautical revenue, and airline agreements to meet an estimated $6 million annual cost for a 1% SAF blend. Additionally, the report explores infrastructure financing, noting that long-term co-benefit procurement contracts can de-risk private investment in regional SAF production.
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Document type: Report
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS BRIEFING TO PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS: ENFORCEMENT OF MINIMUM EMISSION STANDARDS IN THE PRIORITY AREAS; THE HIGHVELD REPORT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF ITS RECOMMENDATIONS; AND AIR QUALITY IN PRIORITY AREAS AND THE STATUS OF AIR QUALITY MONITORING STATIONS
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) argues that the Highveld Priority Area (HPA) has failed to meet national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) despite a decade of management. The CER highlights that postponements of minimum emission standards (MES) granted to Eskom and Sasol have hindered progress and suggests that Eskom may be violating even its postponed standards. Furthermore, the CER criticizes the state of South Africa's air quality monitoring network, claiming that a majority of stations produce no data and very few produce quality-assured data. The document urges the Portfolio Committee to question the DEA on its enforcement actions, the legality of 'rolling postponements', and the decline in the number of reporting monitoring stations.
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Document type: Statement
UK support for pollution controls on coal power plants
A joint letter from NGOs to the UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, arguing that supporting the revised LCP BREF is essential for public health and environmental protection. The authors highlight that the new standards would significantly reduce premature deaths and health costs in Europe, while complementing the UK's domestic coal phase-out goals.
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Document type: Statement
Challenging Trump Administration’s Order to Open Public Lands to Coal Leasing
On March 29, 2017, Earthjustice and a coalition of environmental and tribal groups sued the Trump administration to challenge Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's order lifting a moratorium on federal coal leasing. The lawsuit argues that resuming leasing ignores previous findings that coal mining pollutes air and water, destroys wildlife habitats, and contributes approximately 10% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. The coalition further contends that the current leasing system subsidizes the coal industry and shortchanges taxpayers, while existing leases are estimated to be sufficient to meet national coal needs for 20 years.
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Document type: Case study
Complaint to the European Ombudsman - Failure of the European Commission to disclose conformity checking documents in compliance with case C-612/13 P ClientEarth v Commission
ClientEarth argues that the European Commission has improperly withheld conformity checking studies by applying a general presumption of confidentiality to documents that do not meet the legal criteria for such an exception. The complaint asserts that the Commission failed to conduct individual assessments of requested documents, particularly those related to EU Pilot cases and preliminary assessments, in violation of case C-612/13 P and the Aarhus Regulation. Additionally, ClientEarth claims the Commission is neglecting its duty to actively and systematically disseminate environmental information to the public.
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Document type: Statement
SUBMISSIONS ON THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION DOCUMENT FOR ESKOM’S POSTPONEMENT APPLICATION IN RESPECT OF THE 2015 MINIMUM EMISSION STANDARDS (MES) TIMEFRAMES FOR ESKOM’S MEDUPI AND MATIMBA POWER STATIONS
The Life After Coal campaign opposes Eskom's application to postpone sulphur dioxide emission standards at the Medupi and Matimba power stations, citing a history of non-compliance, failure to install required abatement technology, and a lack of comprehensive health risk assessments for affected communities in the Waterberg District Municipality.
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Document type: Statement
Donald Trump endangers American Democracy
Friends of the Earth (U.S.) argues that Donald Trump's presidency endangers the foundations of American democracy and the U.S. Constitution. The organization pledges to fight attacks on laws protecting air, water, and food supplies, while supporting public protests and congressional resistance to the new administration.
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Document type: Statement
FACT SHEET The Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning - Integrated Benefits Calculator (LEAP-IBC)
The LEAP-IBC is an integrated planning tool developed by the Stockholm Environment Institute in collaboration with the US EPA and the University of Colorado. It extends the LEAP software by combining emission scenarios with the GEOS-Chem global atmospheric chemistry transport model and exposure-response functions. The tool allows users to characterize national emissions of greenhouse gases and short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs), explore mitigation scenarios, and estimate resulting benefits in terms of avoided premature deaths, reduced crop losses for wheat, rice, maize, and soybean, and changes in global radiative forcing and temperature. While the core LEAP platform is applicable globally, the IBC component is currently available for 71 countries, with 12 countries using it specifically for the Climate and Clean Air Coalition's SNAP Initiative.
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Document type: Fact sheet
A Good Week for People and the Planet
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) supports the 2030 phase-out of coal-fired power plants in Canada and Alberta, citing significant reductions in premature deaths, healthcare costs, and mercury emissions, as well as an 8% reduction in national greenhouse gas emissions to help meet Paris Agreement commitments.
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Document type: Statement
Bringing Electric Vehicles to the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic
The document advocates for increasing electric vehicle (EV) availability in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, noting that while 55% of regional consumers are interested, availability lags significantly behind California. It calls for the expiration of a regulatory exemption that allows sales in California to count toward compliance in Northeast states and suggests updating ZEV program credits to account for rapid improvements in battery range.
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Document type: Fact sheet
FOLLOW UP TO REQUEST FOR REVIEW AND STRENGTHENING OF THE NATIONAL DUST CONTROL REGULATIONS
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) is calling for a review of South Africa's National Dust Control Regulations, arguing that current monitoring methods are inadequate and that the government is incorrectly treating fugitive dust as a 'nuisance' rather than a health risk. CER specifically highlights the danger of toxic substances like arsenic and uranium in gold mine residues in Gauteng and opposes a proposal to double the allowable 30-day average dust limit from 600mg/m2 to 1200mg/m2. The letter also demands that the scope of regulated activities be expanded to explicitly include gold mine tailings re-mining operations.
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Document type: Statement
REQUEST FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO PARTICIPATE AS A STAKEHOLDER IN THE HIGHVELD PRIORITY AREA MULTI-STAKEHOLDER REFERENCE GROUP MEETINGS
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) and groundWork are urging the South African Department of Health to join the Highveld Priority Area (HPA) Multi-Stakeholder Reference Group (MSRG). They argue that the Department of Health's involvement is critical given the severe health burden caused by air pollution in the HPA, particularly from Eskom's coal-fired power stations. The document cites data suggesting thousands of premature deaths and significant IQ loss due to mercury emissions, as well as the economic costs of these health impacts, to justify the need for health officials to collaborate on air quality solutions.
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Document type: Statement
UK Particulate EMP
The research analyzes particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) and their chemical components at two UK EMEP 'supersites' in Harwell and Auchencorth Moss. By integrating statistical analysis of measurements with air-mass back trajectory data, the study characterizes the 'chemical climate' and the contributions of different concentrations, months, components, and geographic regions to long-term health-relevant PM metrics. The findings indicate that there is no single dominant determinant of long-term PM metrics, meaning effective mitigation requires multilateral action across various source sectors and both national and international levels.
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Document type: Research paper
Alberta Pesticide Survey Report
The Alberta Pesticide Survey Report details a public opinion poll conducted in August 2016. A majority of respondents expressed concern that pesticides used on lawns and gardens pose threats to children (66%), pets (68%), and the general environment (50%). Consequently, 62% of those surveyed supported a law to phase out the use and sale of all but the safest pesticides for lawns and gardens in Alberta, excluding agriculture, forestry, and mosquito control.
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Document type: Report
Final Report Modeled Impacts of Oil and Gas on air quality and human health
The report uses photochemical modeling to compare a 2025 'Baseline' scenario with a 'Zero-Oil&Gas' scenario to quantify the contribution of the oil and gas sector to ozone concentrations and associated health burdens across the continental United States.
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Document type: Report
Gasping for Breath
The report estimates that oil and gas emissions will cause over 750,000 summertime asthma attacks in children under 18 across the U.S. in 2025. It identifies volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) as the primary precursors to this ozone smog, noting that pollution travels far downwind to affect all 48 contiguous states. The analysis highlights Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Pennsylvania as states with the highest number of asthma attacks. To mitigate these effects, the report recommends implementing leak detection and repair (LDAR) programs, replacing high-emitting pneumatic equipment, and using vapor recovery units on storage tanks.
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Document type: Report
Planeación Urbana Sustentable para la Ciudad de México
The report proposes eight strategic policy axes for Mexico City to transition toward a sustainable urban model: Transit-Oriented Development, territorial delimitation, public transport integration, mixed land use, small blocks, non-motorized mobility, automobile use control, and recreational public spaces. It establishes quantitative benchmarks for 2018, 2024, and 2030 to reduce car dependency and improve air quality and public health. Key recommendations include implementing a single payment card for integrated transport, establishing strict urban growth boundaries, and promoting 'urban recycling' to create walkable neighborhoods.
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Document type: Report
HPA REVIEW QUESTIONNAIRE TO DETERMINE WHETHER AIR QUALITY IN THE NKANGALA DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY HAS IMPROVED SINCE 2007
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) has issued a questionnaire to the eMalahleni Local Municipality (ELM) as part of a "mini shadow review" to evaluate the implementation of the Highveld Priority Area (HPA) Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP). The review seeks to identify resource gaps in the municipality and determine if air quality in the Middelburg and eMalahleni areas of the Nkangala District Municipality (NDM) has improved since the HPA was declared in 2007. The CER notes that despite statutory mechanisms, "air quality remains poor on the Highveld" as of 2016. The questionnaire focuses on several key areas: the clarity of regulatory responsibilities across government spheres; the adequacy of financial resources and budgets allocated to ELM for air quality functions since 2007/8; the qualifications and training of staff, including designated air quality officers and Environmental Management Inspectors; measures taken to reduce dust and emissions from domestic coal burning in low-income settlements; and whether industrial facilities have reduced emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases. Additionally, the document highlights a data gap in assessing air quality improvements, noting that DEA/South African Weather Service data from 2009 to 2015 shows that "the number of exceedances of ambient air quality standards have increased slightly" and that some monitoring instruments have malfunctioned over extended periods.
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Document type: Statement
HPA REVIEW QUESTIONNAIRE TO DETERMINE WHETHER AIR QUALITY IN THE NKANGALA DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY HAS IMPROVED SINCE 2007
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) is conducting a "mini shadow review" to evaluate the implementation of the Highveld Priority Area (HPA) Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP) within the Nkangala District Municipality (NDM). The CER seeks to identify resource gaps and determine if air quality in areas such as eMalahleni and Middelburg has improved since the HPA was declared in 2007. The questionnaire focuses on regulatory clarity, financial and human resource capacity, dust reduction measures, emissions from domestic coal burning, and industrial pollutant and greenhouse gas reductions. The CER notes that data from the DEA/South African Weather Service between 2009 and 2015 suggests that "exceedances of ambient air quality standards have increased slightly" and that equipment malfunctions have created data gaps.
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Document type: Statement