Energy and the Environment
Environmental impacts from energy production is a major concern. Poland's main energy-related environmental problems are air pollution from burning coal in power and district heating plants, water pollution related to coal mine dumping of saline water into the Vistula and Ober rivers and refinery effluents of insufficiently treated water, and solid waste from coal mines and power plants. Poland's three largest coal mines are among the largest sources of pollution.
Poland has signed a number of international agreements and accords on the environment, including adopting all obligations from the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) including the Kyoto Protocol (signed: 1998; ratified: 2002) as well as other agreements to control transboundary emissions.
Besides that Poland has made significant legislative progress through the adoption of important framework laws in 2001.
The Parliament adopted the 2nd National Environmental Policy in August 2001. It incorporates the principles of the EU 5th and 6th Environmental Action Programmes. Poland has adopted the strategy for sustainable development: "Poland 2025 - Long-term Strategy for sustainable Development". Additional Attention has been given to the RES utilisation. All the major Polish environment-related funds such The National Fund for Environmental Protection, Ecofund and regional environmental funds have already given high priority to supporting RES.
Further, the following aspects of new opportunities, especially for the local authorities, have been underlined in the "Strategy": Creation of local energy policy, regional development, employment growth, environmentally friendly infrastructure modernisation, diversification and decentralisation of the Polish energy industry.
It has been estimated that the success in the realisation of Strategy objectives would contribute to reduction of greenhouse gases emission by 18-24 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent and creation of 30,000-40,000 new jobs (direct employment) annually.
[European Renewable Energy Council - EREC]
CO2-Emissions
CO2-emissions per capita of Poland, other CEEC, Austria, and the EU 15, 2007
Air pollution
Poland has still a major air pollution problem from burning coal in power and district heating plants.
Meanwhile large Power plants and combined heat and power facilities have been equipped with high stacks and electrostatic precipitators (ESPs), or at least bag filters, allowing for the capture of increasing amounts of fly ash particulates. Flue gas desulfurization (FGD) and low-NOx technology were only introduced in the 1990s. Because of this, and the use of lower sulfur coal, the environmental performance of many power plants has improved considerably. However, under environmental regulations adopted in 1990, new emission standards for existing plants came into effect in 1998 that are in line with EU standards. Under these standards, all new coal and lignite plants require FGD. Additionally, all plants will need low-NOx burners and improved fly ash particulates removal.
