*The latest report by the CEE Bankwatch Network shows that outdated coal-fired power plants in the Western Balkans once again exceeded emission limits in 2024: total sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emissions were six times higher than the legal limit set by the National Emission Reduction Plans (NERP) for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Serbia. Concentrations of particulate matter (PM) exceeded the allowed levels by 75%, and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 43%. For the first time since records have been kept, power plants in Bosnia and Herzegovina emitted the highest amount of SO₂ in the region — 212,840 tons, which is 11.3 times more than the country’s own NERP quota.
Four of the six biggest polluting units are located in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Ugljevik 1, Gacko 1, Tuzla 6, and Kakanj 7. This puts Bosnia and Herzegovina ahead of Serbia, which for years held the inglorious first place, and the total emissions of Bosnian power plants are higher than the combined SO₂ emissions of all coal power plants in Croatia, Slovenia, and Montenegro together.
