Comparison of Antwerp-Bruges and Rotterdam Ports

For the first time ever, Apache and Follow the Money show that this damage amounts to billions of euros. Using official figures on the emission and transfer of pollutants from large industrial facilities, we’ve determined a societal cost of between 1,3 billion and 3,9 billion euros in Rotterdam, and between 1,2 billion euros and 3,3 billion euros in Antwerp. 

But these figures inevitably underestimate reality, as not all companies have an obligation to report their emissions, and not all substances of concern are taken into account. In the coming months, Follow the Money and Apache will take a closer look at the emissions of the (petro)chemical industries in the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp. 

In the first part of this extensive investigation, we reveal how harmful these emissions from the chemical industry are to public health.

Photo: Peter Lipton