The environmental effects of coal burning are well documented.
Coal is considered to be "easily the most carbon-intensive and polluting form of energy generation available".
In 2007 the station produced 22,160,000 tonnes of CO
2, making it the largest single source of CO
2 in the UK.
Between 2000 and 2007, there has been a net increase in carbon dioxide CO
2 of over 3,000,000 tonnes.
The station also has the highest estimated emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) in the European Union.

In 2007, in a move to try to lower CO
2 emissions, Drax Group signed a £100 million contract with Siemens Power Generation to re-blade the steam turbines over four years.
This is the largest steam turbine modernisation ever undertaken in the UK, and will increase efficiency.
Coupled with the co-firing of biomass, this is part of a target to reduce CO
2 emissions by 15% by 2011.

Drax's annual report for 2013 reported that Drax's annual emissions were at 20,612,000 tonnes of CO
2.
This was a slight decrease from 2007 levels due to the burning of biomass.
 Drax remained the UK's largest single emitter of carbon dioxide up until 2016, when the power station claimed that its improvement programmes and conversion to burning biomass, had meant a drastic decrease in greenhouses gases being released into the atmosphere.

Drax has opted in to the Large Combustion Plant Directive (LCPD) and thus is permitted to continue operating beyond 2015.
The use of flue gas desulfurisation ensures that the limits on sulphur dioxide emissions are not exceeded.
The environmental effects of coal burning are well documented. Coal is considered to be "easily the most carbon-intensive and polluting form of energy generation available". In 2007 the station produced 22,160,000 tonnes of CO
2, making it the largest single source of CO
2 in the UK. Between 2000 and 2007, there has been a net increase in carbon dioxide CO
2 of over 3,000,000 tonnes. The station also has the highest estimated emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) in the European Union.
In 2007, in a move to try to lower CO
2 emissions, Drax Group signed a £100 million contract with Siemens Power Generation to re-blade the steam turbines over four years. This is the largest steam turbine modernisation ever undertaken in the UK, and will increase efficiency. Coupled with the co-firing of biomass, this is part of a target to reduce CO
2 emissions by 15% by 2011.
Drax's annual report for 2013 reported that Drax's annual emissions were at 20,612,000 tonnes of CO
2. This was a slight decrease from 2007 levels due to the burning of biomass.  Drax remained the UK's largest single emitter of carbon dioxide up until 2016, when the power station claimed that its improvement programmes and conversion to burning biomass, had meant a drastic decrease in greenhouses gases being released into the atmosphere.
Drax has opted in to the Large Combustion Plant Directive (LCPD) and thus is permitted to continue operating beyond 2015. The use of flue gas desulfurisation ensures that the limits on sulphur dioxide emissions are not exceeded.
Drax Power Station