The EU ETS2 system and the introduction of mechanisms to stabilise allowance prices were the main topics of discussion between Deputy Minister of Climate and Environment Krzysztof Bolesta and the new Deputy Minister of the Environment of the Czech Republic Vladislav Smrž. The talks took place online on 9 January 2026.

The Act on Genetic Resources, prepared by the Ministry of Climate and Environment, has been signed by the President of the Republic of Poland. The new regulations set a spending limit for the next 10 years, which will allow for the continued implementation of regulations concerning access to genetic resources and the sharing of benefits from their use. The secured funding will enable the continued operation of the control and reporting system for users of these resources, as required by EU regulations.

PLN 210 million will be allocated to investments limiting flooding, counteracting urban heat islands and improving rainwater management. Thanks to European Funds for Eastern Poland, the Ministry of Climate and Environment is consistently strengthening the resilience of cities to the effects of climate change by supporting local governments in creating safer and greener urban spaces. In the first two calls for proposals, PLN 413 million has already been allocated to adaptation projects. The programme is run by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management.

The Ministry of Climate and Environment has removed the common pochard, tufted duck, Eurasian coot, hazel grouse and Eurasian woodcock from the list of game species. The change supports the protection of natural resources in Poland and prevents a decline in the population of these species. The updated list is effective from 2 January 2026.

2026 will be the first full year in which the universal deposit and return system will be in force. With each passing week, more packaging will be covered by the system. Producers who do not join the system will be subject to a product fee of up to PLN 3 per kilogram of plastic or metal. This is the moment when the deposit and return system becomes a permanent tool of the state's environmental policy.

The Ministry of Climate and Environment, as the administrator of funds from the National Recovery Plan (NRP), supports the implementation of strategic investments in renewable energy sources. On 22 December 2025, two loan agreements were signed for a total value of PLN 475.32 million, which will enable the construction of large photovoltaic farms in Poland. The funds are managed by Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK).

During the COP30 climate summit in Belém, Poland joined the group of countries that signed the Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change. This document, prepared by UNESCO and the UN in cooperation with Brazil, includes the issue of information reliability in the official COP agenda for the first time in the history of global climate negotiations. The declaration is a groundbreaking step in the fight against misinformation at the international level.

The President has signed the Act prepared by the Ministry of Climate and Environment implementing the CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) into Polish law. This is a key step in protecting the competitiveness of Polish industry and jobs in the context of climate change. CBAM, or the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, is a shield for Polish industry.

During the meeting of the EU Environment Council (ENVI) in Brussels on 16 December 2025, the environment ministers of the Member States discussed, among other things, the conclusions of the recent COP30 climate summit in Belém, the EU bioeconomy strategy, the impact of CBAM on electricity exchange with Ukraine, and proposals to simplify EU environmental regulations. Poland was represented by Deputy Minister of Climate and Environment Krzysztof Bolesta.

Poland and Lithuania face a triple challenge: reducing energy costs, strengthening security of supply and accelerating decarbonisation through the development of renewable energy sources, emphasised Urszula Zielińska during the Baltic Energy Forum conference, which took place on 11 December 2025 in Vilnius. In her speech, the Deputy Minister of Climate and Environment pointed to the importance of regional cooperation, infrastructure modernisation and investment in RES as key elements of an effective transition.