Ambitious energy legislation to reduce the use of coal in private heating systems

Poland is failing to comply with the directives on air pollution. One reason for this is the great dependence on coal and waste for heating in private households. More than 3.5 million Polish households still use outdated coal-fired heating systems. Reducing air pollution from heating systems is intended to accelerate the phase-out of fossil fuels, reduce greenhouse gases, and thus combat climate change.

The project disseminated the version of "coal-free spa and tourist towns". It focussed on awareness-raising, capacity-building measures and legal advice (soft legal intervention).

The implementing organisation initiated a dialog of relevant stakeholders as part of the project. These include political decision makers, entrepreneurs, citizens, civil society organisations and media from Poland and other countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The project organises meetings, public debates and dialogues with experts. The project organized meetings, public debates and expert dialogues. 

For this, the project built on the successful example of Krakow. ClientEarth worked with local authorities there in 2016 to achieve a court ban on solid fuels. This, along with a ban on coal-fired heating, was to be applied to other resort and tourist cities in Poland as part of the project. Both measures can contribute to better air pollution control in Poland, support in accelerating Poland’s exit from coal and achieve a just transition within the framework of the EU commitments under the Paris Agreement.

• Legal basis for clean air: The towns of Rabka-Zdrój and Wadowice began working with ClientEarth to introduce a ban on solid fuels. In Rabka-Zdrój, a memorandum of cooperation was signed and an anti-smog ordinance was drafted, which serves as a model for other towns.  
• Broad awareness raising: Over 500 representatives from politics, administration, business and civil society, among others, were sensitised to the need for coal-free cities at workshops, conferences and public events. In addition, the project reached over ten million people through comprehensive media coverage, including 24 online articles, 13 newspaper reports, 4 TV reports and 2 radio reports.  
• Signal effect beyond Poland: The example of Rabka-Zdrój triggered imitation effects. Other cities such as Skawina and Rybnik announced measures against coal combustion. In addition, new partnerships were formed with non-governmental organisations in Bulgaria, Hungary, Czechia and Slovakia, among others, to promote solid fuel bans and air pollution control measures.