This policy brief “From coal to consensus: Poland’s energy transition and its European future” has been prepared by the European Council on Foreign Relations.
Key highlights of the paper:
- Poland’s economy, including its energy sector, is still heavily dependent on fossil fuels, including coal.
- In recent years Poland has significantly developed its renewable energy potential, reduced carbon dioxide emissions, and rolled out energy efficiency measures.
- Yet challenges remain, attributable to the government’s failure to devise a coherent national energy strategy and its insistence on picking fights with the EU over “sovereignty”; together, these weaken Poland’s influence over European energy policy.
- Poland has the potential to carry out an ambitious energy transition, considering its renewable energy potential, plans for nuclear power, and public support for change.
- Whatever the results of the 2023 parliamentary election, the government should aim to forge a cross-party consensus in favour of the energy transition and give it a strategic weight comparable to Poland’s accession to the EU and NATO.
Access the paper here
