In the opening speech, Minister Henryk Kowalczyk pointed out that the meetings taking place as part of the Polish-German Climate and Energy Forum have become a tradition, which is a testament to the fruitful and constructive cooperation between our countries on matters related to environment protection and climate.

Despite the fact that several months have passed since the conclusion of the COP24 climate summit in Katowice, Poland remains very active in climate policy and continues to cooperate with Germany in this area in order to develop concrete solutions on the global and European scale, that will be beneficial for the environment, as well as for current and future generations, said Minister Henryk Kowalczyk. 

During the meeting, Minister Kowalczyk reminded that in November 2018, the European Commission published “A Clean Planet for All – a strategic long-term vision for a prosperous, modern, competitive and climate-neutral economy by 2050.”

Poland supports evolutionary transformation of the European energy sector which needs to be conducted in a sustainable manner and taking into consideration the specific conditions of individual member states of the European Union, Minister Kowalczyk emphasised.

He also pointed out that the role of innovation on the path towards a climate-neutral economy cannot be overstated. It is the industry that initiates and drives innovation, and it is there that solutions should be sought for a transformation that will be accepted by the communities, ensuring new jobs to replace those eliminated by the implementation of the climate policy. “It is a necessary condition for any climate strategy to succeed,” he pointed out.

“We must take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves, but at the same time we must not forget that what for some is an opportunity, for others means uncertainty about their future. That is why a Just Transition is necessary, not limited only to replacing the lost jobs, but also increasing social awareness and providing support to help others face the emerging changes,” the Minister added.

About the meeting

This year’s forum was presided over by the Vice-Ministers of Environment of Poland and Germany – Michał Kurtyka and Jochen Flasbarth. During the discussion on the structural transformations in industrial regions, Vice-Minister Kurtyka underlined the importance of supporting the regions and the communities living in decarbonised areas.

By providing the necessary funding for the transformation and implementing the appropriate support programmes for training for new professions and careers, we will foster new investments which will replace the lost jobs in the coal mining sector, said Vice-Minister Kurtyka.

Bilateral meetings

The Warsaw Climate and Energy Talks Conference was preceded by a meeting of Minister Henryk Kowalczyk, Vice-Minister Michał Kurtyka and German State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety Jochen Flasbarth. The talks concerned cooperation between Poland and Germany in the field of climate protection.

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About the Warsaw Climate and Energy Talks

The “Warsaw Climate and Energy Talks” were first organised in 2013 on the initiative of the Polish and German Ministries of Environment. The aim of the series of meetings is to establish a platform for the exchange of experience and knowledge and to intensify Polish-German dialogue between entities from the worlds of politics, business, science and civil society.