Britain has announced the phase-out of coal-fired power plants by 2025, ending its 250-year-long love affair with coal, in a move welcomed by health practitioners. The collapse of coal (counting for 40% of electricity production in 2012, and only 9% in 2016) drove a 50% fall in emissions from electricity generation between 2010 and 2016.

The British government announced the plan in 2015. On Monday (18 September) Prime Minister Theresa May confirmed the commitment at a joint press conference with Canadian PM Justin Trudeau. Details on how the phase-out will be implemented are set to be announced in October, according to Euractiv.com. Coal, once the fuel of Britain’s industrialization and the source of its imperial power, has been phased out quickly, replaced largely by nuclear, natural gas, and renewable energies.

Coal-powered power plants release a number of pollutants including nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2), heavy metals such as mercury, and particulate matter (PM) – all of which are dangerous for human health. Pollution is considered the largest environmental public health risk in the UK.
The positive impact of coal phase-out on pollution will deliver important health savings.