A few weeks ago, I came across an article shared by a friend on Twitter titled “Why Poland can’t and won’t hit 2050 EU Green Deal target” by Piotr Arak. Intrigued, I read the article and felt compelled to comment on my friend’s tweet, highlighting where the author seemed to depart from facts and made an important omission that weakened the article’s title and conclusion.
Even now, after a few weeks, I still feel the need to address this article, and here’s why:
Poland is the only country in the EU resisting commitment to a 2050 NetZero goal.
Consequently, Poland is often viewed as having little interest in addressing climate change and is seen as lacking the will to contribute or, worse, demanding more funds from the EU.
Public and private sector companies in Poland are critical of EU climate policies and perceive the goals as unrealistic, fearing negative impacts on the Polish economy.
This deadlock has far-reaching implications not only for Poland, potentially excluding its industrialized economy from the generous Green Deal package, but also for the EU’s overall progress in delivering its ambitious plan. Additionally, it affects international trade and global efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change challenges. Many nations, including Canada, South Korea, and Japan, aim to follow a path similar to that advocated by Ursula von der Leyen and her allies. Unfortunately, if no meaningful solution is found, Polish companies and the economy will likely face significant negative consequences.
Therefore, this article aims to dispel common misconceptions about Poland’s stance on climate change, it’s potential for carbon neutrality, and potential areas of agreement between Poland and the EU. As someone who is professionally and personally invested in the transition to a net-zero economy through my work at Redshaw Advisors, I frequently engage in discussions with customers, colleagues, and industry stakeholders on this topic.
Given the complexity of the matter, I don’t claim to have a one-size-fits-all solution for the challenges involved. However, regarding the New Green Deal negotiations, I believe there are a few conclusions that can be drawn.
Firstly, it’s crucial to address the omission made in the article that sparked this opinion piece. The author begins with valid observations about Poland’s struggle to reach an agreement with the EU but simplifies the root cause to money and time. However, the article fails to acknowledge that achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 does not solely rely on emissions reduction. While reducing emissions is the preferred approach, it is widely understood that it’s economically and practically unfeasible to achieve the target through reduction alone. Instead, a comprehensive net-zero strategy involves:
Measures to avoid or reduce emissions wherever possible.
Transitioning to renewable energy sources.
Offsetting or sequestering any remaining emissions during a transition period.
Furthermore, recent attention has been given to carbon-negative technologies, which actively remove emissions from the atmosphere, further advancing our efforts to combat climate change effectively.
By recognizing that emissions reduction is not the sole pathway to achieving the 2050 target, we can view the rest of the article from a different perspective. However, exploring this topic further will be the focus of the next article.
