Over the last ten years, Polish governments have earned nearly PLN 94 billion from emissions trading. And only just over a percent was spent on reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The Supreme Audit Office's report on this matter is devastating. Politicians of the current coalition promised that they would donate 100 percent of the money for this purpose. Will it work?
The Supreme Audit Office's report says clearly – revenues from CO2 fees were spent incorrectly. We read in it that “the interests of the state budget and the possibility of linking the incurred expenses with the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions were not sufficiently ensured.”
This concerns the years 2013-2023, when revenues from the sale of allowances amounted to nearly PLN 100 billion, of which only slightly over one percent was transferred directly to goals related to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
– A gigantic mistake. More than a crime. A strategic mistake that was made – says Robert Tomaszewski, energy analyst from Polityka Insight.
“A very large part of these funds should go to households”
Experts leave no stone unturned on the decisions made in previous years, because the billions of zlotys in question were supposed to go to the green transformation, but were spent on other – it is not entirely clear what – purposes.
– According to the directive, 50 percent of funds should be allocated to reducing emissions – points out Joanna Maćkowiak-Pandera, president of Forum Energii.
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The ETS system is a CO2 emission pricing system and one of the main instruments of the European Union's climate policy. It is intended to encourage power plants and industrial plants to reduce emissions in order to move towards climate neutrality. As part of emissions trading, money goes to state budgets so that they can transform their energy sector and thus reduce the bills of their citizens.
– A very large part of these funds should go to households, because the idea of energy transformation is to pay less for energy, not more – points out Joanna Maćkowiak-Pandera.
Lost opportunities
The list of what could be done with these billions is long, starting from replacing domestic heat sources, moving away from coal and gas, investing in renewable sources, electrification, and ending with the development and improvement of transmission networks, which are the weak link in our system. .
– We will have to allocate PLN 500 billion for their modernization by the end of 2040 – says Robert Tomaszewski, energy analyst from Polityka Insight.
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This is not only a missed opportunity, but also a weakening of the competitiveness of our economy. Energy in Poland is simply expensive compared to Europe, which means that production is also expensive.
– We tax issuers: power plants, industry, heat and power plants. They pay billions of zlotys, over PLN 20 billion annually, to the budget, and they should go to financing the energy transformation so that we do not need energy from fossil fuels – says Michał Hetmański, president of the management board of the Instrat Foundation.
The current climate minister attacks the decisions of her predecessors. – This is scandalously low, unacceptably low – emphasizes Paulina Hennig-Kloska, Minister of Climate and Environment from Poland 2050.
The current coalition spends more on reducing emissions, but not as much as they promised, because it was supposed to be 100 percent. – I negotiate every day with the Minister of Finance so that we actually spend 100 percent of the money obtained from emission rights on the energy transformation – says Paulina Henning-Kloska.
There will be more money for transformation next year. At the moment, these are the only specifics.
Main photo source: TVN24