Poland wants to set exit for coal power so people can plan

Brussels — Poland plans to set an end date for coal-fuelled power, the country’s secretary of state for climate Urszula Zielinska said on Monday, marking a shift from the previous government’s stance on climate change.

Poland’s October 2023 election ended eight years of Law and Justice (PiS) party rule, and led to a new government that Zielinska said is increasing environmental efforts — including a phase-out date for coal power.

“Only with an end date we can plan and only with an end date industry can plan, people can plan. So yes, absolutely, we will be looking to set an end date,” she told reporters in Brussels.

Poland gets about 70% of its power from coal, the most CO₂-emitting fossil fuel, though it has increased wind and solar generation in recent years.

The previous government agreed to a pact with trade unions to keep mining coal until 2049. But scientists say deep cuts to emissions from burning coal are needed this decade to avoid severe climate change. UN secretary-general António Guterres has urged all countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to phase out coal by 2030.

Zielinska, who was appointed in December, said the new government is reviewing Poland’s climate and energy plans, and that any changes will support affected workers and industries.

“It’s all under revision and with a view to step up the efforts, but also to secure the people who may be most impacted, the industries as well, to make sure that the industries are really smoothly transitioned into new green branches,” she said.

Her comments mark a shift in tone from Poland, which has opposed certain environmental measures within the EU. Warsaw took Brussels to court in 2023 to attempt to cancel EU climate policies, including a 2035 ban on new CO₂-emitting cars.

Zielinska said Warsaw is also ready to embrace a target for the EU to cut emissions by 90% by 2040, and will push to ensure the effect on society is addressed.

Reuters