Poland’s new government has announced its ambition to become a green player in Europe, aiming to accelerate the country’s move away from coal and supporting the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 90 per cent by 2040, Euractiv reports.
In Poland, 70 per cent of electricity and two-thirds of home heating is generated by coal. Maintaining state support for the lignite fuel has been one of the main objectives of past PiS-led governments, as coal mining is the most important economic activity in rural areas. However, the coming to power of the new centrist government marked a change. State secretary for climate Urszula Zielińska, who arrived in Brussels on Monday (15 January) for an informal meeting of the EU’s Environment Council, said:
“I’m coming here with a message of Poland stepping up its efforts to fight climate change. We will step up our efforts and cooperate with European Union from now on in a much faster, much smoother, and much more confident way.”
On EU issues, she said, “we have to accept the 90 per cent emissions reduction target” that the European Commission is expected to present in the coming weeks for 2040.
That means Poland will back EU climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra and ambitious countries such as Denmark and Germany, which support the 90% greenhouse gas emissions reduction target for 2040 to be presented on 6 February. But she also upholds Poland’s long-standing policy of insisting that richer EU countries continue to support poorer Eastern European countries in their green transition. Zielińska added:
“If this target is agreed, we will be at the same time emphasising the need to help countries like Poland, like many countries in central Eastern Europe, look after the social part of delivering such ambitious target.”
The new government is also reviewing the country’s coal policy in the domestic market. The new state secretary added:
“We are currently in the process of reviewing policies that concern climate and transition and energy plans.”
These multi-year plans are due to be presented in final form by mid-2024, leaving the new government several months to rework the plan presented by its Conservative predecessor. All policies are being “reviewed”, she said, and the aim is to “intensify efforts”.
