Wednesday

27th Sep 2023

Magazine

Poland will burn coal beyond 2050, says local politician

Poland will not have stopped burning coal for energy production by 2050, a senior local politician predicted in an interview with EUobserver.

Witold Stepien, 'marshal' (a Polish local government term for head) of the Lodz region from 2010 until last month, told EUobserver that while he thought Poland would have "considerably less coal" in its energy mix by 2050, it will not have completely phased it out.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

  • 'I don't think by 2050 we can eliminate the use of coal to zero,' said Witold Stepien. (Photo: EPP Group in the CoR)

"I don't think by 2050 we can eliminate the use of coal to zero," Stepien told this website through an interpreter. "We will need 10 to 15 years more."

Stepien is still a member of the Lodz regional assembly, affiliated with the centre-right European People's Party (EPP), and a member of the Committee of the Regions, a Brussels-based advisory institution.

But a coal phase-out date of somewhere around 2065 is not quite in line with what the European Commission has in mind.

The commission recently published a strategy for a carbon-neutral Europe by 2050.

EU climate commissioner Miguel Arias Canete (also EPP) was adamant when speaking to press at the UN climate change conference in the Polish city Katowice, earlier this month.

"It is clear we are going to decarbonise the economy. Not only the Polish, all the European Union is going to be decarbonised," he said.

"What is pretty sure [is] that in 2050 coal will not be in the energy mix," he said.

Canete stressed that the EU should assure a "just transition" for the European regional economies dependent on coal.

Stepien agreed. "We need to talk to people. The most important is the social acceptance of the transformation process," he said.

"Every single person that works in the mine needs to be informed and shown the chances for the future that we create," Stepien added.

But the question is whether that transition can take place fast enough.

In Stepien's region, Lodz, there were more attractive jobs for people now working in coal mines, Stepien said.

But the situation was different for Silesia, the Polish region where the climate conference was held.

Not just because of economics, but also because coal is part of the region's identity.

"The problem in Silesia has a cultural dimension," said Stepien.

"It's based on many generations," he noted, adding that in Poland when people hear of Silesia, the first thing they think of is the coal mines.

"This is a process that will last for years. … I think it's a process of at least two generations," he said.

A coal phase-out of 2065 was "much more probable" than 2050, he added.

Despite political reluctance, moving away from coal can bring many benefits, supporters say.

That is because coal is not only bad for climate, but also for air quality.

Earlier this month the Health and Environment Alliance, a political pressure group, said that annually hard coal and lignite power plants caused some 5,830 premature deaths in Poland.

Currently, around 80 percent of Polish electricity is generated by burning coal.

The Committee of the Regions covered EUobserver's travel and accommodation costs to Poland, but had no editorial control over its coverage.

COP24: Vanuatu in 'constant state of emergency' on climate

Ralph Regenvanu, foreign minister of the Pacific island Vanuatu, said at the COP24 talks in Poland it was disappointing the host country was promoting coal - but was happy with EU contributions to tackle climate change.

Planned German coal exit boosts case for Nord Stream 2

German commission recommends phasing out coal power over the next 19 years - which will provide additional arguments to build the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia, which both the European Commission and the US have reservations about.

Magazine

A deep dive into the EU regional funds

While the regional funds account for a full third of the EU budget, they are somewhat under-reported. EUobserver's latest edition of the Regions & Cities magazine looks at the EU's cohesion policy.

Magazine

The EU Agencies Race

In this edition of EUobserver's Regions & Cities magazine, we take a closer look at some of the EU agencies, exploring how their location matters and the benefits for cities and regions to host them.

Latest News

  1. Germany tightens police checks on Czech and Polish border
  2. EU Ombudsman warns of 'new normal' of crisis decision-making
  3. How do you make embarrassing EU documents 'disappear'?
  4. Resurgent Fico hopes for Slovak comeback at Saturday's election
  5. EU and US urge Azerbijan to allow aid access to Armenians
  6. EU warns of Russian 'mass manipulation' as elections loom
  7. Blocking minority of EU states risks derailing asylum overhaul
  8. Will Poles vote for the end of democracy?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators, industry & healthcare experts at the 24th IMDRF session, September 25-26, Berlin. Register by 20 Sept to join in person or online.
  2. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  3. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA
  4. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators & industry experts at the 24th IMDRF session- Berlin September 25-26. Register early for discounted hotel rates
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersGlobal interest in the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations – here are the speakers for the launch
  6. Nordic Council of Ministers20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Sustainable Finance CentreJoin CEE Sustainable Finance Summit, 15 – 19 May 2023, high-level event for finance & business
  2. ICLEISeven actionable measures to make food procurement in Europe more sustainable
  3. World BankWorld Bank Report Highlights Role of Human Development for a Successful Green Transition in Europe
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic summit to step up the fight against food loss and waste
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersThink-tank: Strengthen co-operation around tech giants’ influence in the Nordics
  6. EFBWWEFBWW calls for the EC to stop exploitation in subcontracting chains

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us