As Deputy Minister Guibourgé-Czetwertyński pointed out, in order to succeed in the profound transition of the economy – from the production of energy to the production, transport and consumption of goods – we must implement this process in such a way that the changes are beneficial for everyone.

We need solutions oriented towards people and, in particular, towards the most vulnerable groups. The proposed architecture of the “Fit for 55” package does not seem to respond to the generated societal challenges – thus, the acceptability of transition itself may be limited. We should be very careful in approaching the changes likely to lead to the increased burden on society and to adequately address the risk of the increased poverty at this stage.

– he said.

Therefore, we see no validity and effectiveness of introducing an allowance trading system for transport and buildings. Worrying are also the attempts to shift the burden of effort to less wealthy societies in the EU, as visible, for example, in the discussion on goals in the non-ETS or on support mechanisms.

– he added.

Adam Guibourgé-Czetwertyński, Deputy Minister of Climate and Environment, noted that in order to guarantee the just nature of transition, various measures should be taken into account on the path towards achieving a common goal.

Transition is not a uniform process either in time or space in the EU Member States. Therefore, according to Poland, priority should be given to measures providing the countries with the maximum flexibility as regards the implementation of the optimal solutions for transition, taking into account their specific conditions, including regional and social ones.

– he explained.

During the discussion on the prices of energy, Deputy Minister Guibourgé-Czetwertyński stressed that the problem of the high prices of energy is continued and the problem may also return in the coming years.

We need to protect consumers – both through national measures and definite measures at EU level. The competitiveness of our economies and the social acceptability of the EU’s energy and climate policy are at stake

– he added.

According to the Deputy Minister, the European Commission’s decision announced last week with regard to carrying out an explanatory procedure on the role played by Gazprom in the current crisis is a step in the right direction. He also pointed out that the ETS should allow to carry out transition in a gradual and predictable way, without jeopardising the competitiveness of European economies.

Talking about energy efficiency, the Deputy Minister highlighted that the practical application of the “energy efficiency first” principle should not lead to restrictions in existing projects and should be identified with the needs of energy security.

A decentralised approach should be adopted to allow the Member States to choose the solutions which are best matched with their national policies and conditions

– he said.

At the informal meeting of the EU ministers, Deputy Minister Guibourgé-Czetwertyński also informed that Poland supports the general directions of the European Union’s policy in the field of hydrogen. It also shares the view that the development of the hydrogen economy is both an important component in pursuing climate neutrality in Europe and an important opportunity for the EU in the context of economic recovery under the COVID-19 pandemic. He added that it is necessary to take into account all hydrogen production technologies which contribute to reducing emissions related to the production of hydrogen, taking into account low-emission sources such as biomass, natural gas (from CCS/CCU) and nuclear energy.

In order to maintain technological neutrality, it is necessary to improve support, including financial support, for all innovative hydrogen production technologies

– he stressed.

In turn, during the discussion on the fight against deforestation, Adam Guibourgé-Czetwertyński, Deputy Minister of Climate and Environment, reminded that Poland is a country with a long tradition of forest management, taking care of the health of forests, protection of biodiversity and gradual increase in the forest area, and the forest and wood sector is an important element of the national economy.

In our opinion, the best practice which can reduce deforestation all over the world is to implement sustainable forest management. It leads to shaping the structure of forests and their use in a manner and at a pace ensuring the sustainable preservation of their biological wealth, high productivity and regenerative potential, vitality and ability to fulfil, now and in the future, all forest functions without any harm to other ecosystems.

– he explained.