Greece’s poor environmental record was dealt another blow yesterday when the country’s largest power plant, located in northern Greece, was named the worst air-polluting power station in Europe by the conservation group WWF.

WWF presented a list of the 30 dirtiest power plants (labeled the “Dirty Thirty”) in the European Union that ranked the least efficient of the biggest carbon dioxide (CO2) emitters. Although Germany had five of the 10 dirtiest plants, the energy unit in Aghios Dimitrios close to Ptolemaida is the worst single culprit.

“Greece has two lignite plants ranked in first and fourth place,” WWF said.

Fourth place goes to the Kardia power plant, also situated in northern Greece.

Both energy producers are owned and operated by the Public Power Corporation (PPC).

According to scientists, CO2 emissions are the main reason for global warming and devastating climate impacts on people and nature.

“The power sector is responsible for 37 percent of all man-made CO2,” WWF added.