What goes on in Poland on the 5th of December.
During the Green European Economic Congress (EEC Green) held parallel to COP24, panels dedicated to innovation in the energy sector and smog took place.
„Either will we implement innovations, or we will lose”
Former Prime Minister and President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek said that energy efficiency consists of safety, environmental protection and acceptable electricity prices: – Innovation is key in all three of these issues. Safe deliveries are deliveries from new renewable sources, good solutions are needed for this. The best evidence for technological progress is the shale revolution in the US, which after 20 years has become a huge gas exporter. From the point of view of climate protection they are better than Europe – a low-emission source, which is gas, is very cheap there.
Buzek added that carbon should be used in a safe way. – Scientific institutions in Poland and Europe develop specific technologies that we do not implement. We should replace coal with gas, especially in connection with the Baltic Pipe project. If we do not implement innovative solutions, we will lose. A few years ago in the European Parliament we agreed that the most important thing in energy is to save energy and then develop renewable sources. Renewable energy should be an important part of prosumer energy. Moving away from fossil fuels is because they are unhealthy, mining is dangerous. There are serious reasons to end it. At the end of these activities is not nuclear energy, only renewable. The European Union’s aid in this area is wide – said Buzek.
„Let’s accept the economic scale of the problem”
MP Gabriela Lenartowicz said that there is no debate about smog in the Polish parliament. – The rulers explicitly declare that they accept solutions dictated by politics and not by environmental considerations. We have a law on electromobility, which gives regulations, but does not give tools. The most important of our problems when it comes to smog is the empowerment of citizens – said Lenartowicz.
She added that observing all activities, we come to the conclusion that Poland disregards this problem. – We do not have the expected results when it comes to improving air quality. This problem is diagnosed as to the sources and effects. We also have economic and technological tools to fight it. We have knowledge and awareness in society. The problem is that large efforts are scattered. We need to think about what regulations at the national level are needed to trigger positive behavior in individual people. We must convince the Poles that they want to change something at the level of the local community. We must also accept the economic scale of the challenge, and the challenge is huge. This is, however, a cost that we need to raise air quality to what the WHO expects – she said.