19 August 2026 - Torfaen in Wales had the fourth highest intensity of carbon emissions per square km in the world during July 2026 due to wildfires, according to recent data.
The data by Copernicus Wildfire Emissions Watch, analysed by Save the Children, reveals that the intensity of the carbon emissions in Torfaen puts it fourth in the world, after Annaba in Algeria (1st), Ávila in Spain (2nd) and Malanje in Angola (3rd).
Hot, dry weather, supercharged by climate change, fuelled hundreds of fires near densely populated cities and towns globally between early July and early August.
During this period, about 15 million children lived in areas deemed to have “extremely unusual” levels of carbon emissions compared with the average for the same period between 2003 and 2025, while a further 11 million lived in areas where levels were much higher than normal. This includes the 20,952 children and young people under 19 years of age that live in Torfaen. [2]
One of the most signifcant wildfires in Torfaen is in Blaenavon, which started burning on the 19th of July and continues to burn a month later. At the height of the fire, shifting wind conditions carried smoke for miles across south Wales. The UK Government issued a national alert last week warning the public that there was a very high risk of wildfires nationally.
While air pollution affects everyone, children are among the most vulnerable because their bodies, organs and immune systems are still not fully developed, says Save the Children.
Children absorb more pollutants than adults as they tend to breathe faster, with fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, associated with premature deaths in the general population.
In addition, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), PM2.5 can cause and worsen diseases of the lungs, brain and skin, and has also been linked to cognitive impairment and memory loss.
A report by Save the Children and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel last year found that 1.5 million children could be spared the consequences of experiencing unprecedented lifetime exposure to wildfires if warming is limited to 1.5 degrees celsius. [3]
Melanie Simmonds, Head of Save the Children Wales said: “In Wales and across the world, children are breathing in smoke from wildfires, coping with extreme heat and losing the freedom to play outdoors because the air is no longer safe. These conditions are not only frightening - they carry serious health consequences for children whose bodies and lungs are still developing.
“It is so important that every child has access to nature and green spaces, and wildfires and extreme heat are making it more difficult for children who are already affected by poverty to enjoy the outdoors.”
Data published last month shows that following early summer heatwaves, 84% of children in Wales experienced extreme heatwaves in the first half of 2026. The total was over 10 million children in the UK. [4]
According to Lily, 15, a Save the Children Youth Advisor from Wales: “The extreme heat has made it so that I am too uncomfortable to sleep and my appetite has worsened greatly.”
Save the Children Cymru are calling on the Welsh Government to strengthen the resilience of essential services critical for children’s development and wellbeing in the face of the climate emergency, and to ensure that the voice and needs of children are at the heart of climate adaptation and resilience strategies in Wales.
Melanie Simmonds added: “We’re working with partners and communities in Wales to help prepare children and families in the event of extreme weather, with a particular focus on low-income families who we know are being hit the hardest by climate change.”
Save the Children is calling on the UK Government to protect children’s rights by showing credible climate leadership at home and abroad. Policies such as fossil fuel expansion are incompatible with the UK’s international commitment to the temperature goal of 1.5° C and pose significant risks on children's health and wellbeing.
ENDS
For more information, please contact Angharad Prys on [email protected] / 07900 981158 or [email protected] / 020 7012 6841 .
References:
[1] Based on the Copernicus Wildfire Emissions Watch available here, which classifies the level of carbon emissions from wildfires as either lower than normal, typical, higher, much higher or extremely unusual compared to historical average for that area between 2003 (when Copernicus began tracking this) and 2025.
Child population data is taken from Eurostat (for Europe), the Office of National Statistics (UK), Census.gov (USA) and Government of Canada.
Save the Children assessed the data shared by Copernicus between 4th July and 4th August, and calculated the number of children living in the areas judged where the level of carbon emissions were deemed “extremely unusual” compared to the average for the same period between 2003 and 2025.
[2] How life has changed in Torfaen: Census 2021
[3] Born into the Climate Crisis, Save the Children and Vrije Universiteit Brussel
[4] 84% OF WELSH CHILDREN EXPOSED TO EXTREME HEATWAVES IN FIRST HALF OF 2026 | Save the Children UK