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The report argues that doubling the SO2 emissions limit would lead to significant increases in PM2.5 exposure and mercury deposition, resulting in approximately 3,300 premature deaths, with a high concentration of impacts in the Gauteng region.

The document details recent Indian government interventions in the energy sector, including a reduction in fuel excise duties to counter high oil prices and the launch of significant funding for solar power and electric vehicles. It also addresses the financial distress of electricity distribution companies (DISCOMs) and the legal rulings regarding stressed coal-fired power plants.

The report evaluates South Africa's implementation of SDGs 4, 8, 10, 13, 16, and 17, finding a significant gap between strong policy frameworks and actual delivery. While the National Development Plan aligns well with the 2030 Agenda, the authors highlight systemic failures in education quality, rising unemployment, extreme wealth inequality, inadequate climate action, and high levels of gender-based violence. The document argues that the 'leave no one behind' principle is not being operationalised and calls for greater state accountability and inclusive multi-stakeholder engagement.

The document provides a data-driven baseline of coal production and consumption subsidies in Canada for 2016 and 2017, noting a specific financial pledge to support the transition away from coal.

The document serves as a background paper to track the phase-out of coal subsidies in Indonesia as part of a global energy transition, noting that the country provides significant support to coal-fired power production and consumption.

The document identifies that the Russian government provides significant support for coal mining and the infrastructure required for exports. It serves as a baseline for tracking the phase-out of coal subsidies within the context of a global energy transition and acts as a background paper to a broader report on G20 coal subsidies.

The document serves as a background paper to a larger report on G20 coal subsidies, specifically focusing on Mexico's support for coal production and consumption during 2016 and 2017 to monitor progress toward a global energy transition.

The report tracks G20 nations' efforts to phase out coal subsidies, finding that despite a 2009 commitment, these governments continue to spend at least USD 63.9 billion annually on coal and have failed to fully document the extent of this support.

The Clean Air Task Force criticizes the EPA's Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule for repealing the Clean Power Plan (CPP) and replacing it with a system focused on minor heat rate improvements for coal plants. The author contends that this approach ignores the existing trend of shifting toward cleaner energy sources and will lead to increased CO2 emissions and public health risks, including premature deaths. The document asserts that the ACE rule fails to employ the "best system of emission reduction" required by the Clean Air Act and announces plans to challenge the rule in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) criticizes the EPA's Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule, characterizing it as a "life-extension program for coal plants" that replaces the Clean Power Plan. CATF asserts that the ACE rule will increase carbon emissions and cause over 1,600 annual deaths by 2030 compared to the Clean Power Plan, while benefiting the coal industry at the expense of public health and the environment. Consequently, CATF intends to legally challenge the rule.

The report finds that 14 industrial facilities in South Africa's Mpumalanga Highveld Priority Area (HPA) caused between 305 and 650 early deaths in 2016 due to PM2.5 pollution. The most significant contributors were the Lethabo, Kendal, and Kriel power stations. Modeling indicates that compliance with the 2020 Minimum Emission Standards (MES) would reduce these annual early deaths by 60%, preventing between 182 and 388 deaths. The report also highlights severe exceedances of World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for SO2 and NO2, particularly at sensitive sites like schools and hospitals. In 2016, these 14 facilities accounted for up to 92% of the daily ambient SO2 limit, suggesting that national air quality standards cannot be met without reducing emissions from these specific sources.

Professor Peter Orris reviews Dr. Andrew Gray's modeling of emissions from 12 coal-fired power plants, a Synfuels facility, and a NatRef refinery in South Africa. Orris concludes that these facilities create a significant public health hazard, contributing to hundreds of premature deaths annually via PM2.5 exposure. He notes that while implementing the 2020 Minimum Emission Standards (MES) would significantly reduce PM2.5-related deaths, it would not eliminate all WHO guideline exceedances for SO2 and NO2. The review emphasizes the vulnerability of children and the elderly at sensitive sites like schools and hospitals.

The author describes a series of visits to mining and development sites in South Africa and Kenya, highlighting environmental destruction and human rights violations. The text criticizes the South African government's support for the mining industry and the New Development Bank's funding of coal-fired power plants, while warning against the dangers of geoengineering funded by carbon emitters.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) and groundWork have written to Absa Group Ltd to discourage the financing of proposed coal-fired independent power producers (IPPs), Thabametsi and Khanyisa. The letter argues that continuing to fund coal presents significant financial, reputational, and environmental risks, noting that other South African banks like Nedbank have already declined to finance these projects. Drawing on reports from the Institute for Energy, Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) and the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI), the CER highlights a global trend of financial institutions divesting from thermal coal and warns that South Africa faces transition risks exceeding $120 billion by 2035. The document further dismisses the concept of "clean coal" as a myth and urges Absa to align its lending practices with a just transition to sustainable energy.

The document highlights a gap in Indonesian public perception where coal is not recognized as a primary driver of air pollution, despite the country producing 60 per cent of its electricity from coal. It suggests that replicating awareness-raising strategies from India and China could empower Indonesian civil society to demand health-prioritizing policies and the reduction of fossil fuel combustion.

The report alleges that Adaro Energy, a major Indonesian coal company, used subsidiaries in Singapore, Mauritius, and Labuan to shift profits offshore, potentially reducing its Indonesian tax contributions by US$125 million between 2009 and 2017. Despite a public image of national contribution, the company is identified as a partner in the US$4 billion Batang coal-fired power plant, which is supported by Indonesian government financial guarantees. The document recommends that the Indonesian government review these tax practices and transition away from coal toward renewable energy, while urging banks to cease financing for new coal projects and companies dependent on coal power in Indonesia.

The document analyzes how public outcry driven by health-focused communication strategies in India and China led to government action against air pollution. It highlights the role of medical professionals, data transparency, and creative arts in mobilizing civil society. The brief argues that Indonesia, which continues to expand coal power despite high rates of non-communicable diseases, can benefit from similar approaches to pressure its government to shift toward renewable energy.

The U.S. EPA has proposed a change in how it calculates the benefits of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) for coal- and oil-fired power plants. By excluding 'co-benefits'—reductions in pollutants not directly targeted by the rule, such as particulate matter (PM2.5)—the EPA argues that the regulation is no longer 'appropriate and necessary' under the Clean Air Act. While the MATS originally prevented 11,000 premature deaths and 130,000 asthma attacks annually, removing co-benefits, which account for over 90% of monetized benefits, dramatically lowers the perceived value of the regulation relative to its compliance costs. Although the MATS remain in place for now, this methodological shift opens the door for the EPA to potentially rescind the standards or delist power plants as affected sources. Electric utilities have expressed concern over this shift, noting they have already invested over USD 18 billion in pollution-control upgrades. The report also notes that increased mercury emissions in the U.S. could adversely affect Canada due to transboundary transport.

The report identifies 3,217 self-reported exceedances of AEL limits across 14 coal-fired power stations over a 21-month period. It highlights chronic pollution issues, particularly regarding particulate matter at stations without fabric filters, and criticizes the lack of electronic, standardized reporting.

The report finds that granting Eskom's requests for non-compliance with Minimum Emission Standards would lead to significant excess emissions of SO2, NOx, particulate matter, and mercury, resulting in an estimated 16,000 avoidable premature deaths across South Africa, with 3,100 of those in the Gauteng region.