Minister Kurtyka reminded that the COP24 summit organised in Poland in 2018 ended up with a success and signing of the agreement known as the “Katowice Rulebook”.

“We have reached an ambitious compromise that has made Katowice a historic place in global climate policy, just like Kyoto and Paris before”, he said.

“Thanks to the ‘Katowice Rulebook’, the international community has received guidelines for the operation and implementation of the Paris Agreement from 2021”, he added. 

From climate negotiations to actions

As emphasised by the Minister of Climate Michał Kurtyka, international arrangements are an extremely important element of actions for climate protection, but it is high time to move on to implementation of the established principles.

“During COP24 held in Katowice, Poland decided to focus on three priorities – human, technology and nature, which corresponded to three declarations proposed by the Polish presidency. One of them – Solidarity and Just Transition declaration – assumes that climate policy cannot be detached from the economy, and that human must always be at the centre of the discussion on climate neutrality” – he said.

According to the Minister of Climate, taking the subject of fair transition seriously in international discussion will result in a higher level of public confidence in local, national and global climate change policies.

“Achieving climate neutrality is a huge civilization challenge that will require us all to change the way we produce energy, move, live and produce food. However, we must be able to convince our communities that changes in the model of life do not mean a deterioration in its quality” – he said.

Therefore, the energy transformation must take place in solidarity and fairness. Providing help and protection to people most affected by the transition is crucial. Given the scale of the challenge, there will be more and more social groups that will be interested in the fair sharing of the costs and benefits of transition. 

“If the transition is not fair, it will fail. It is our duty to work out such solutions so that nobody is left behind” – he added. 

Role of energy transition in achieving climate policy goals

In the opinion of the head of the Mistry of Climate, the energy sector must undoubtedly be at the centre of all activities aimed at mitigation of climate changes. 

“The increasing electrification of industry, transport and buildings will further strengthen the key role of electricity generation. That is why it is so important for electricity to come from cleaner energy sources” – he noted. 

“However, if we are to talk about an effective model of energy transition, it cannot translate into carbon leakage and importing high-emission products and services from abroad, because then, while reducing the competitiveness of the European economy, we fail to achieve a global effect” – he added. 

As Minister Kurtyka pointed out, energy transition will be expensive, which is why a detailed plan is needed to separate and optimise these costs. 

“We all agree that achieving climate neutrality is necessary but it has to be fair. It is also extremely important for us to maintain the technological neutrality in this transformation” – he said.

According to the Minister, the role of gas and nuclear energy as a stable, zero-emission energy source will still be key in achieving the reduction goals, which was also proved in the IEA reports.

“Climate change is a global problem that can only be solved by cooperation. What we all discuss is only the path to the goal, but the goal itself is the same for everybody. However, we must remember to maintain credibility in implementing the newly made commitments, so that achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement is not only aspiration but a feasible action” – added Climate Minister Michał Kurtyka.