Energy Boost for Poland
Report
"Energy Boost for Poland" - a package for the economy prepared by the Forum Energii and Polish Confederation Lewiatan.
Forum Energii and the Confederation Lewiatan call for the adoption of the "Energy Boost for Poland" package, which aims to mobilise available public and private funds for the Polish energy modernization. The implementation of the "Energy Boost for Poland" will stimulate investments worth over PLN 580 billion, which will create 240 thousand new jobs. Investments in the energy sector should be an element of the strategy for overcoming the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The coronavirus pandemic has caused an economic shock worldwide. In Poland, this year we will observe the first recession in nearly 30 years. The national governments are preparing ad hoc rescue packages to support entrepreneurs. But this is also the best time to think ahead courageously about changing the economy towards a more modern track. Investment in the energy sector and action for a low-carbon transition should take priority in this process.
Hence, Forum Energii and Confederation Lewiatan prepared "Energy Boost for Poland" package. Its aim is to indicate that mobilizing available public and private funds for energy transition in Poland may stimulate investments worth over PLN 580 billion, which will create 240 thousand new jobs.
These investments are crucial from the perspective of social well-being in general. The beneficiaries of the funds are not only companies, but primarily households. It is not only about supporting workplaces, but also about reducing bills by improving energy efficiency and affordable energy from renewable sources. "Energy Boost" refers to one of the major challenges of our time - climate protection and clean air. The pulse of energy - not only will help Poles get back on their feet now, but it will pay off in the future. We want Poland to finally take a step into the future in terms of clean heat, electricity and transport. We want clean energy to become the engine of the economy after the crisis.
The coronavirus surprised us - it hit hard on the economy and our sense of security. It depends on a reasonable response to the crisis how quickly we will recover from it. The State has an important role to play. It must restore regulatory safety of investments, ensure stability of business operations and support areas that are fragile. It must try to solve not only the economic crisis, but also bear in mind the environmental crisis and social inequalities that limit our development. Therefore, after an in-depth analysis, we propose "Energy Boost for Poland" - says Joanna Maćkowiak-Pandera, President of Forum Energii.
The "Energy Boost for Poland" package calls for an increase in the use of public and EU funds in 12 areas. Some of them, such as thermomodernisation of buildings, low-emission transport and modernisation and development of the power grid, require increased levels of investment and urgent support immediately. Others require long-term actions to be initiated today to mobilise future funding. These areas include offshore wind energy, supporting the RES installations production capacity, low emission technologies of the future or developing new employee skills.
For too many years, clean energy, climate and the environment have been treated as a side-issue, restricted to activists and generating dangerously high costs for business - says Maciej Witucki, President of Polish Confederation Lewiatan. - Fortunately, for some time now it has been visible that the future of our planet and the opportunities resulting from the green revolution have been restoring the 'green' issues to the top of the economic hierarchy of priorities. In the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, modern technologies are additionally becoming a great chance for a "green" economic impulse, extremely important for a quicker recovery from the crisis that is only just beginning. Investments in RES, energy efficiency, modern waste management, innovative transport are also an opportunity to develop our competitiveness in the fields that are still to be occupied. – says Witucki.
The implementation of the initiatives described in "Energy Boost for Poland" package will trigger investments of a total value of over PLN 580 billion, which will comprise national and European public funds and private funds. This will mobilise money on a larger scale than the Polish Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 and incomparably more than investment projects planned or implemented by the government, such as the Central Communication Port or the National Roads Construction Programme. This scale is impressive.
Polish Confederation Lewiatan and Forum Energii
