The president at the climate summit. “Poland is taking the path of just transformation”

On Tuesday in the capital Azerbaijan The COP29 climate summit began under the slogan “In solidarity for a green world”. The conference is attended by leaders from all over the world, Poland is represented by the president Andrzej Duda.

During his speech in the national speeches block, Andrzej Duda emphasized that during his presidency he tried to ensure that the climate policy program was high on the list of Poland's priorities. He expressed his satisfaction at being able to ratify the Paris Agreement in 2016.

– I also feel great satisfaction in connection with the organization of COP24 in Katowice (in 2018 – ed.). In my opinion, it was a breakthrough event in many respects, Duda recalled. – It was in Katowice that we adopted the so-called The Book of Katowice Principles, i.e. a guide to implementing the assumptions of the Paris Agreement. It was there that the idea of ​​the Declaration on Solidarity and Just Transition was born. Today, it is a reference point for energy and economic transformation around the world, the president noted.

He recalled that during COP24 in Katowice, the ministerial declaration “Forests for the Climate” was also adopted, which emphasized the need to use forests in climate policy as natural sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases. – Poland values ​​this role of forests and takes care of them, because they are also home and habitat for many species of plants, animals and fungi living in Poland – Duda said. As he noted, biodiversity is a condition for the existence of life on Earth.

He emphasized that since then he has been consistently repeating that a just transformation cannot take place against society and to the detriment of current living conditions.

– During last year's COP28 in Dubai, I emphasized that we still pay too little attention to the human dimension. And yet, a just transformation should be carried out in a reasonable way – so that it brings benefits to people first and foremost – said the president.

The President assessed that in times of climate challenges and threats, the key conclusion should be to strengthen the synergy between the following conventions: UNFCCC on climate, UNCBD on biodiversity and UCCD – on combating desertification. – It is also important to take joint actions to mitigate the effects, (…) combat soil degradation and achieve climate neutrality – he emphasized.

– Let us also remember that our efforts to protect the environment are undermined by the wars taking place around the world. Russian aggression on Ukraine has shown us that armed conflicts also cause serious damage and pollution to the environment. Therefore, our actions must be comprehensive, because environmental protection also means preventing conflicts, Duda said.

Andrzej Duda also emphasized that “despite various challenges, Poland fulfills all its obligations and consistently follows the path of sustainable development and just transformation.”

– In Poland, the wind energy sector is constantly developing, and there is a rapid increase in the number of home and large-scale photovoltaic installations. At the same time, we are drilling further wells for the development of geothermal energy,” he noted.

– A year ago I also presented Poland's ambitions to build stable nuclear energy. I am glad that in Dubai I could take part in the event accompanying the adoption of the declaration on tripling the capacity of nuclear power plants. I signed it with full conviction because I believe that nuclear energy is the future. And only nuclear energy will help us achieve our climate goals and guarantee clean, safe and stable energy, the president noted.

In Duda's opinion, Poland is an example of a country that has been able to ensure both constant growth for years GDPas well as a decrease in the intensity of carbon dioxide emissions in the economy. According to the president, this is “the best confirmation that our actions are right and that Poland is following the path of sustainable development set by the UN.”

The president noted that Polish solutions are appreciated around the world. He expressed satisfaction with the fact that many Polish ideas are being implemented in other countries. – Let us cooperate and inspire each other to create new pro-climate solutions that are beneficial for humans, the environment and the climate – Duda appealed.

The United Nations Climate Summit is a cyclical event that takes place every year. The conference includes the most important body of the United Nations Framework Convention on climate change (UNFCCC). The convention was created to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and stop the average global temperature from rising above 1.5 degrees Celsius. However, over time, new provisions have been added and now the conference also covers topics related to climate in general.

This year's conference is again taking place in a country whose economy is largely based on fossil fuels, this time it is the capital of Azerbaijan – Baku.

However, the president did not appear in a group photo with other leaders present at the event. In a conversation with journalists, Duda avoided answering the question about the photo. As PAP found out, the president did not want to pose with the leader of the Belarusian regime, Alexander Lukashenko. READ MORE >>>