Minister Michał Kurtyka took part in the opening session of the conference, which was focused on the current situation in the field of renewable energy sources and Poland's activities in the field of energy sector transition.   The Minister also presented national energy and climate plans, including the directions enshrined in the latest draft of the Polish Energy Policy for 2040.

The use of renewable energy has become a staple of the European Union's efforts to promote climate neutrality. Poland wants to jump on this bandwagon; however, we need to take into account the existing structure of the national energy system and the share of individual energy sources, coal in particular.   Poland advocates for a just transition that takes into account the particular nature of our economy and the needs of our coal regions. The green transition cannot see people and societies left behind, the Minister said.

He also pointed out that Poland aims to transform its energy mix in line with the guidelines of the European Green Deal. Agricultural renewable energy sources are expected to grow significantly over the next two decades and synergies between the electricity, heating and transport sectors will be increased.

In the recently presented draft of Poland's Energy Policy for 2040, renewable energy plays a key role, with particular emphasis on offshore wind energy. We plan to produce one third of our electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Our target is to achieve 5.9 GW from offshore wind energy, 5-7 GW from solar energy and 8-10 GW from onshore wind energy sources by that year, the Minister added.

The session was chaired by Jan Geiss, Secretary General of EUFORES. In addition to Minister Michał Kurtyka, the session was also attended by Hans van Steen, Director for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Energy, and Mieczysław Kasprzak, President of the RES Intergroup.