Polandia

Poland still produces 83% of its electricity from fossil fuels placing it top in the EU. 72% of the country’s power in 2021 was from coal. 

Only 17% of Polish electricity comes from renewable energy sources, a value among the lowest in the EU and countered only by much smaller CEE countries. Ember’s analysis of its National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) shows that by 2030 Poland only intends to increase this to 32%, significantly below the EU average of 59%.

Poland is now the only country in the EU that has not committed to a coal phase-out. According to the IEA, to achieve the 1.5C target OECD countries must end coal power by 2030. And the ‘Polish Energy until 2040’ plans to deploy the largest growth in fossil gas electricity generation (+40 TWh) in the EU, demonstrating both a complete lack of climate ambition, and a major risk to energy security. At the same time, the government is actively blocking the deployment of renewables.

Being a top CO2 emitter, Poland needs to make a rapid policy turn towards clean energy, otherwise the 2030 climate targets of the whole EU will be at risk.

Last updated: March 2022