A report from the European Environment Agency revealed on Wednesday that air pollution resulting from industrial production has led to diseases, early deaths, and the degradation of ecosystems, natural habitats, and agricultural crops, which represents a heavy economic cost according to the report. According to Agence France-Presse, the report indicated that among more than 1,100 factories that reported emissions causing pollution, 211 sites are responsible for half of the costs, with most of these locations found in Germany, the UK, Poland, Spain, and Italy.
Air pollution resulting from thermal power plants poses the greatest risk to health and the environment, followed by the heavy industry sector and the production and processing of fuels, according to the European agency. Despite some slight improvement, air quality in Europe remains polluted with fine particles, ozone, and nitrogen oxides, with most European countries exceeding the required air quality standards, as warned by the European Environment Agency last week.
The report showed that air pollution from industrial production has resulted in environmental damage valued between 280 billion euros and 430 billion euros. The agency indicated that these estimates represent "about 2% to 3% of the total GDP of the European Union, which is higher than the total economic output of several member states." While the European industrial sector has made "significant" progress in reducing its environmental and climate impact, "the social costs or external effects resulting from air pollution in the sector remain high," according to the report, which relies on data from 2017.
