Resettlement Lignite open pit mines have swallowed entire villages and RWE has resettled 41,000 people since the 1940s. The villages are mostly resettled a few kilometers further including houses, churches and cemeteries. The Garzweiler mine - although in operation since 2006 - has caused the resettlement of six villages and the expansion threatens the existence of 12 villages that are home to 7,600 residents. Demolition of the first four villages (Unterwestrich, Oberwestrich, Kuckum and Beverath) is scheduled to begin in 2023. A number of villagers have formed an alliance under the name of 'Menschenrecht vor Bergrecht'  and is resisting RWE's claim on their land in court. In addition, the villages of Mannheim and Morschenich will be resettled before 2022 and 2024, respectively, to make space for the Hambach open-cast mine which has already resettled four villages.

Pollution Coal and wood biomass power plants emit similar levels and set of pollutants as each other, which are both linked to severe health impacts, including asthma, cancer, heart and lung ailments. In addition, the production of wood pellets is associated with air pollution and wood dust pollution. Long-term exposure to wood dust is linked to allergic and non-allergic respiratory and nasal disease and with dermatitis as well as two rare cancers. Poor wood dust management has been observed and reported in relation to plants owned by RWE's suppliers Graanul Invest, Enviva and Pinnacle Pellets. Pinnacle Pellets have also had several explosions and fires at plants, resulting in injuries and even deaths of workers.

Emissions from fossil fuels RWE is Europe's biggest single emitter of CO2 with 69 megaton of CO2 emissions in 2020 and therefore contributes to the acceleration of climate change. In 2020 gas accounted for 35% of RWE’s generation capacity, followed by renewables (25%), lignite (21%) and hard coal (5.5%). In addition nuclear had a share of 7% and 6% of pumped storage and batteries. Besides the burning of gas, hard coal and lignite, RWE is involved in mining lignite which is the dirtiest of fossil fuels. RWE mines about 90-95 million tons of lignite each year in its three open cast mines in North-Rhine Westphalia: Garzweiler 30-35 million tons; Hambach 40 million tons and Inden 20 million tons. The company also runs several lignite power plants of which are among Europe's most polluting power plants.

Emissions from biomass RWE has started transforming its two coal power plants in the Netherlands into plants that run on wood biomass, which has been falsely labeled as "renewable". Burning biomass from forests creates more carbon emissions than burning coal, per unit of energy, and the increased carbon dioxide concentrations persist in the atmosphere for decades. In addition, forests offer crucial protection from extreme weather events such as floods and droughts that are becoming increasingly common due to climate change, but the demand for wood pellets for energy is driving forests across the world to be cut down.

Climate risk lawsuit In November 2015 Saúl Luciano Lliuya, a Peruvian farmer and mountain guide, filed a lawsuit against RWE with the help of Germanwatch calling on the company to take responsibility of protecting his family and property from flooding brought on by climate risks. RWE's enormous emissions threaten Raúls family, property and a large part of his home city of Huaraz.

Threats to forests Since 2015 the Hambach mine has become a focus of the activist alliance Ende Gelände who use civil disobedience to stop the lignite mining. RWE's Hambach mine threatens the 12,000 year old Hambacher forest, home to an oak-hornbeam woodland and 142 species of birds, 10 species of baths and rare animals protected under EU law, such as the middle spotted woodpecker, the spring frog or the dormouse. Today only 10% of the original forest is left and RWE plans to clear 70ha a year to enable their Hambach mine to expand. Activists have occupied the forest and try to stop the clearance by means of tree houses.

Destructive forestry practices for biomass supply All of the pellets burned in Dutch coal power stations of RWE are imported, but RWE refuses to disclose where its pellets are sourced from. What is known from two of their suppliers is that the company has supply agreements with the world's three biggest pellet producers: Enviva, Graanul Invest, and Pinnacle Pellets. It is well-documented that each of these companies routinely source whole logs from clearcut biodiverse, native or old-growth forests for their wood pellets. Through destructive logging practices, these companies are contributing to the destruction of irreplaceable forests and increasing greenhouse gas emissions.

Wood biomass is associated with high rates of deforestation as well as monocultures of various crops. There is a growing body of evidence that shows the connection between deforestation and an increased risk for disease outbreaks and pandemics. For example, monocultures like eucalyptus plantations reduce biodiversity leaving species like rats and mosquitoes, which are more likely to spread dangerous pathogens, to thrive. This biodiversity decline results in a loss of natural disease regulation and poses a risk for human, animal and environmental health.