Dispatch from Poland | September ‘26
*** Our weekly Dispatches provide an overview of the most relevant recent and upcoming developments for the shift to climate neutrality in selected European countries, from policy and diplomacy to society and industry. For a bird's-eye view of the country's climate-friendly transition, read the respective 'Guide to'. ***
04 Sep 2026, 08:30
Alicja Ptak, Patryk Strzałkowski
Stories to watch in the weeks ahead
- Parliament to debate withdrawal from ETS - The main opposition party, Law and Justice (PiS), has introduced a bill that would unilaterally withdraw Poland from the EU’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). The bill is under consultation until 10 September and will probably be put to a vote later this autumn. While there is no clear majority that would pass the bill, its introduction, description (filled with climate denial and disinformation) and the upcoming debate in parliament could influence Polish climate policy. The bill comes as the EU Commission debates a reform of the ETS, and the Polish government wants to see major changes.
- Energy prices rise ahead of winter - It’s not yet an energy crisis as dramatic as the one in 2022, but Poland is bracing itself for a winter of expensive energy. While the country's gas storage is at better levels compared to the European average, that will not shield consumers from price hikes dictated by international markets. At the same time, both coal and wood pellets used for heating are pricier than last year. This could put pressure on the government to intervene and introduce subsidies, especially with next year's election in mind.
- Biggest reduction in coal mine employment in years – In 2025, a bill was adopted to facilitate the closure of several coal mines and compensate miners forced to retire early. According to projections by the Warsaw-based think tank Instrat, up to 8,500 miners might leave the workforce by the end of the year – a 10 percent reduction across the whole sector. The rapidly shrinking number of people employed in the sector might also affect the once-powerful position of coal miner unions ahead of the election.
The latest from Poland – last month in recap
- Political spat over windfall tax - At the end of August, a government fuel subsidy in the form of lower VAT expired, and prices at gas stations spiked. The government has blamed this on President Karol Nawrocki, who blocked a bill introducing a windfall tax that targeted excessive profits from fuel companies between March and December 2026. The funds were supposed to cover the cost of the summer subsidies, and possibly extend the support scheme. A subsidy in the form of a price cap at petrol stations was first introduced in March, when fuel costs were rising due to the war in Iran. The government has spent over five billion PLN (EUR 1.15 billion) to keep fuel prices lower this year.
- Drought affects generation at coal plants - Like in other European countries, Poland’s energy system was affected by the drought in August. Due to record low water levels in the Vistula River, two coal power plants using river water for cooling had to reduce their output. As experts have pointed out, a decade ago this would have put the whole energy system in danger, but now solar power covers over 20 percent of electricity demand on summer days, allowing for reduced output from coal plants.
- Progress on Polish offshore wind farms - Three offshore wind farms are being constructed simultaneously in the Baltic Sea. The first one, Baltic Power, has had almost all of its turbines installed and has already started feeding into the grid, while the two other projects have had most of their foundations laid. Once finished, the combined wind farms will add over four gigawatts of zero-emission capacity to the Polish energy system by 2027. With sufficient capacity to cover up to 10 percent of annual electricity demand, the new offshore farms are set to further displace coal from the energy mix.
Patryk’s picks – highlights from upcoming events and top reads
- A parliamentary debate on climate security on 7 September - After the brutal heatwave at the end of June, a group of climate scientists has appealed to the Polish Speaker of Parliament to treat the issue seriously and host a debate with both politicians and experts. The response was positive, and a debate was scheduled. The scientists hope that using the language of security will translate into more action from politicians. I will be following the debate live from Parliament. It might be a good antidote to the disinformation that we often hear from that building.
- Energy policy summary - Kacper Świsłowski has written a detailed summary of the first year of the Energy Ministry, which replaced the Ministry of Industry after the last government reshuffle. It’s worth reading (with Google Translate if you don’t speak Polish) to get a grasp of the current state of some major issues in the Polish energy transition and how the government approaches them.
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