Coal mine methane emissions could contribute to an estimated 26,400 premature deaths over the coming decades, according to new analysis from energy think tank Ember.
The analysis finds methane released during coal mining contributes to global ozone pollution, with the resulting health impacts reaching far beyond the countries where the emissions originate.
China’s coal sector accounts for an estimated 20,100 of the projected deaths, more than half of the global total and more than the rest of the world combined. Ember said this reflects where coal mine methane originates rather than where the resulting health impacts occur.
The analysis also finds that around 12,600 of the estimated deaths could be avoided using commercially available methane abatement technologies.
Rebekah Horner, Data Analyst at Ember, said: “Every coal mine that continues to operate is adding to a global health burden that’s almost entirely invisible in how we regulate air quality today.”
The analysis also highlights emissions from abandoned mines, which can continue for decades after a mine closes. Ember says that the UK, which mines very little coal today, still has an ozone-linked mortality burden from abandoned mine methane.
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