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Polish Briefing 30 November, 2018 9:00 am   
COMMENTS: Mateusz Gibała

Polish Briefing: Poland, Germany and not only, can undermine EC’s decarbonization strategy

What goes on in Poland on the 30th of November.

Poland, Germany and not only, can undermine EC’s decarbonization strategy

The Ministry of Energy approaches the postulate of the European Commission, which wants full decarbonisation by 2050, which would mean abandonment of coal, also in Poland.

– This is the strategy of the departing Commission. In Polish conditions, I do not predict that there will be no coal-fired power plants in Poland in the 2050s. I do not expect that good installations could be closed in the middle of life. By 2050, the lifespans of Jaworzno, Kozienice or Opole power plants do not end. Nobody has ever demanded that something that is suitable for operation would be closed – declared the Minister of Energy Krzysztof Tchórzewski.

– In the future, energy storage may be created, but there will also be new ideas for cleaning the air from carbon dioxide. I’m not going out in such a distant future, based on current knowledge – he added.

“You have to look at the reality”

– We followed the statements of important politicians in Europe. Chancellor Merkel has said at least once that she is not an advocate of tightening politics – assured Deputy Minister Grzegorz Tobiszowski. – It is worth looking at the position of Commissioner Canete (Miguel Arias Canete, European Commissioner for Energy and Climate of the European Union – editor’s note) from the point of view of not only Poland. The Germans will also refer to him. We had a dialogue with the Germans, but also with the Spaniards. We consulted representatives of the French labour assosiations – Tobiszowski enumerated.

– You can do different things, but you have to look at the reality. After the Paris Agreement, Europe faces a question about reality, so that we do not lose the role of the continent, which in the world gave tone to civilization changes and did not isolate itself economically. We give ourselves to rigors, and other countries that are developing well are benefiting from that – Deputy Minister Tobiszowski continued.

– The climate is important, but it is also important to what extent we are effective with all the billions spent – continued the deputy minister. Minister Tchórzewski reminded that, for example, China did not comply with the CO2 emission reduction declarations. The New York Times revealed that they secretly emit from hidden production units visible in satellite imagery.

The European Commission presented a climate strategy until 2050, which assumes full decarbonisation up to this date, which would mean the necessity of removing coal energy in Poland as well.