The Bełchatów lignite-fired power plant in Poland was the biggest carbon polluter in the European Union in 2022, emitting 35.06 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (MtCO₂). Bełchatów has remained the biggest emitter in the EU for more than a decade.
Europe’s largest polluters are coal power plants
The EU's 10 biggest emitters in 2022 were all coal-fired power plants. These facilities were spread across just three countries, with the majority located in Germany. The most polluting power plant in Germany in 2022 was the RWE operated Neurath lignite power plant. Combined, the 10 biggest emitters in the EU produced more than 175 MtCO₂ in 2022.
Coal power emissions in the EU
Coal is by far the largest contributor to EU power sector emissions. In 2022, coal-fired power stations emitted 457 MtCO₂, accounting for more than 60 percent of the power sectors total emissions that year. Nevertheless, EU coal power emissions have fallen by roughly 36 percent since 2015 as more and more countries shut down coal plants.
Biggest polluters in the European Union in 2022
(in million metric tons of carbon dioxide)
Characteristic
Emissions in MtCO₂
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Ember. (May 23, 2023). Biggest polluters in the European Union in 2022 (in million metric tons of carbon dioxide) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved July 03, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1130785/biggest-polluters-european-union/
Ember. "Biggest polluters in the European Union in 2022 (in million metric tons of carbon dioxide)." Chart. May 23, 2023. Statista. Accessed July 03, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1130785/biggest-polluters-european-union/
Ember. (2023). Biggest polluters in the European Union in 2022 (in million metric tons of carbon dioxide). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: July 03, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1130785/biggest-polluters-european-union/
Ember. "Biggest Polluters in The European Union in 2022 (in Million Metric Tons of Carbon Dioxide)." Statista, Statista Inc., 23 May 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1130785/biggest-polluters-european-union/
Ember, Biggest polluters in the European Union in 2022 (in million metric tons of carbon dioxide) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1130785/biggest-polluters-european-union/ (last visited July 03, 2024)
Biggest polluters in the European Union in 2022 (in million metric tons of carbon dioxide) [Graph], Ember, May 23, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1130785/biggest-polluters-european-union/