Coal power has been the foundation for much of what Europe is today. But what has been the cost? Since 2016, half of the continent’s coal plants have closed, or are scheduled to close, as markets shift and the race to save the climate gathers speed. NGOs and grassroots organisations are working with communities to ensure the transition from coal is rapid, focused on renewables, and, most importantly, fair.
This increased attention on the people who have long lived with coal has revealed unsteadiness, illness and deep seams of injustice in communities across the continent. The photographer Dan Wilton joined the environmental law charity ClientEarth to investigate and document Europe’s journey beyond coal