Pollution
The main generation activities of CEZ Group are associated with the production of emissions of pollutants into the air and water. Together with electricity and heat distribution activities, they involve the handling of chemical substances that, in the event of an accidental leak, could cause soil contamination and negatively affect the quality of groundwater or surface water. Emissions to air and water recipients were assessed as a material impact requiring a solution within the framework of the DMA.
More information can be found in the Sustainability Report.
CEZ Group complies with the basic legal standards governing the assessment and management of air and water quality based on the Industrial Emissions Directive, the EU Water Framework Directive, and other legislation in the field of water resource protection transposed into Czech legislation. The substances specified in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 166/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of a European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR) are monitored.
CEZ Group‘s ambition is to implement actions that will contribute to reducing pollution emissions. A major contribution to this ambition are CEZ Group‘s decarbonization targets and actions set out in the chapter Climate Change of this Report. Decarbonization targets, especially the gradual reduction of fossil fuel extraction and combustion, will also contribute to reducing pollution emissions.
Under VISION 2030, a target for reducing SO2 and NOX air emissions was set in 2021. At the CEZ Group level, the following environmental target values are set:
- Reduction of NOX emissions from 23 kt in 2019 to 13 kt by 2025 and 7 kt by 2030.
- Reduction of SO2 emissions from 21 kt in 2019 to 6.5 kt by 2025 and 3 kt by 2030.
VISION 2030 targets in the area of pollution fulfill the CEZ Group Environmental Policy, which declares the mitigation of negative impacts related to air, water, and soil pollution. These voluntary targets set for reducing emissions released into the air are tied to the main activity of CEZ Group, i.e., the generation of electricity and heat. NOX and SO2 emission were defined based on the scenarios and information described in the part Transition Plan of this Report. A significant reduction in SO2 and NOX emissions, as primary pollutants from combustion sources, is expected in 2025 and 2030.
Effectiveness of actions taken to reduce SO2 and NOX emissions is monitored four times a year based on a comparison of the actual amount of emissions generated and the expected emissions according to the targets. The results are presented to the management. Between 2019 and 2025, CEZ Group managed to reduce SO2 emissions by 81% and NOX emissions by 55%. VISION 2030 targets were thus met, since in 2025 NOX emissions reached 10 kt and SO2 emissions were only 4 kt. In the same period, emissions of particulate matter (PM10) were reduced by 72%.
Voluntary targets for reducing emissions of pollutants into water and soil have not been set since this pollution is insignificant compared to emissions of pollutants from the combustion of fossil fuels.
The table, which presents an overview of emissions of pollutants into the air from CEZ Group facilities pursuant to Annex II of the E-PRTR Regulation for which the relevant threshold value was exceeded, is in the 2025 Sustainability Report, chapter 7.3. Pollution, part Emissions of Air Pollutants.
We met the target to reduce NOX emissions from 23 kt in 2019 to 13 kt in 2025 and SO2 emissions from 21 kt in 2019 to 6.5 kt in 2025, thus reducing NOX emissions and SO2 emissions to 10 kt and 4 kt, respectively.
An overview of individual pollutants released into water that exceeded the reporting thresholds set out in Annex II of the E-PRTR regulation in 2024 is presented in the table in the 2025 Sustainability Report, chapter 7.3. Pollution, part Water Pollution. Emissions were reported to the integrated pollution register.
Pollutants are not systematically released or transferred to the soil; releases of substances into the soil in 2019–2025 did not exceed the E-PRTR reporting threshold for any of the substances monitored. In connection with operating activities, pollutants may leak into the soil from accidental leaks. The release of emissions into the soil is always associated with subsequent remediation measures. No significant leaks into the soil were identified in 2025.
To achieve and fulfill the environmental targets under the Environmental Policy, additional action plans and actions are adopted beyond the those primarily intended to decarbonize operation.
- Certified Environmental Management System,
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Use of Advanced Wastewater Treatment Technologies,
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Installation of Early Detection and Signaling Systems for Oil Spills,
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Implementation of Active and Passive Particulate Matter Control Actions in Coal Mining and Processing,
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Testing of Fire-Fighting Foams.
- Monitoring of Air Pollution,
- Monitoring of Water Pollution,
- Monitoring of Soil Pollution.
CEZ Group uses substances of concern only in strictly necessary quantities and substances of very high concern only in quantities technologically necessary for the safe operation of facilities. CEZ Group is not a producer of such substances. The handling of these substances is controlled in accordance with the instructions in safety data sheets and exposure scenarios in order to manage the risk of exposure to these substances for humans and the environment. In 2025, no significant incident related to the release of these substances with impacts on the environment or human health was recorded.
Special attention is paid to the group of PFAS substances that were used in fire-fighting foams in CEZ Group. If these substances are identified in the materials used, they are replaced with an alternative substance in accordance with the updated National Implementation Plan of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants issued by the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic.