· The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), has released a data analysis indicating that South Africa’s national power utility, Eskom, has turned out to be the worst polluter globally.
· According to CREA, Escom contributes the maximum sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere.
The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), has released a data analysis indicating that South Africa’s national power utility, Eskom, has turned out to be the worst polluter globally. According to CREA, Escom contributes the maximum sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere. The report points out that while other countries have taken preventive measures to curtail emissions, Eskom has not, and currently emits more sulphur dioxide than the entire power sector of the EU and the US — or the US and China combined. In 2015, the United States and China were among the six economies with the highest power sector sulphur dioxide emissions. Since then, China and the US have moved away from fossil fuels and have managed to significantly reduce emissions. The report stated that though India is also among the top polluters, no single company in India comes close to Eskom’s emissions as the Indian coal is much lower in sulphur than South African coal.
Sulphur dioxide from the burning of coal causes high levels of ambient air pollution and is the main health-harming pollutant. According to a study by experts on the health impacts of coal-fired plants in SA, air pollution has a severe impact on cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses. World Health Organisation regards South Africa’s air quality levels above safe limits.
