The Polish national recovery plan after the Covid-19 pandemic and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development can significantly boost economic growth, make the Polish economy stronger and more resilient to other challenges in the future.

The national governments and institutions of the European Union have provided considerable resources to rebuild the economies after the coronavirus pandemic. Poland is one of the key beneficiaries of the European Recovery Instrument.

The National Recovery and Resilience Plan will strengthen and modernise the economy in the spirit of sustainable development. The following methods will be used for that purpose: digitisation, energy transformation, Governmental Local Investment Fund, Estonian CIT, relief for robotisation and road investments.

Ministry of Economic Development, Labour and Technology is the national coordinator of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and invited a number of representatives of business, institutions and organizations to participate in this year's Forum. The meeting aimed to discuss the prospects for the implementation of the sustainable development programme until 2030 during the coronavirus pandemic, and to verify the common determination to continue. Due to the sanitary regime, the meeting was held as a videoconference.

The pandemic has affected all areas covered by sustainable development objectives, ranging from health to the economy and social issues and the climate

- stressed the Deputy Head of the Ministry Marek Niedużak during the opening speech.

It also showed the importance of an integrated approach to achieving sustainable development objectives, including during the process of recovery. Therefore, Agenda 2030 can and should be a signpost for better post-crisis recovery

– marked Marek Niedużak.

The Deputy Minister pointed towards the rapid and unprecedented actions taken by the Polish government in response to the crisis. He stated:

The initial anti-crisis shields focused on shielding activities aimed at providing liquidity, maintaining jobs and the survival of as many economic market enterprises as possible Now the situation is different, and the actions are implemented in two ways, according to the needs of entrepreneurs and the current state of the economy. The latter direction focuses on creating solutions to support the operation and development of Polish companies. 

He also stressed:

The government is working on pro-investment and pro-development solutions which will strengthen the condition and competitiveness of enterprises, such as e.g. Estonian CIT or relief for robotisation, and is also planning to introduce a strategic investor status.

The Deputy Minister Niedużak also noted:

Poland is one of the key beneficiaries of the European Recovery Instrument. The National Recovery and Resilience Plan for 2021-23 which is currently being developed, will enable the introduction of digitisation and modernisation of the Polish economy in the spirit of sustainable development, in line with Agenda 2030. This will help us to get our economy back on track, revive its growth and make it stronger and more resilient to other challenges in the future.

The minister of climate and environment, Michał Kurtyka, stressed:

National governments and institutions of the European Union plan to allocate considerable resources to rebuild economies after the coronavirus pandemic. Poland must use them wisely in order to face numerous development and environmental challenges simultaneously.

The minister announced that his ministry will primarily focus on the three objectives of sustainable development:

Ensuring access to sources of stable, sustainable, modern and affordable energy; good health and improved quality of life, which includes ensuring adequate air quality and creating sustainable cities and communities are the objectives we wish to focus on

– informed Minister Kurtyka.

During the Forum, experts from the World Bank, Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Digital Centre Foundation and UN Global Compact Network Poland, as well as representatives of organizations, employers and young people discussed, among others, how will this unprecedented effort to rebuild after the crisis affect various aspects of socio-economic life. They have also discussed the role of stakeholders - partners, organisations and business - in the reconstruction process. 

Agenda 2030 National Stakeholder Forum - exchange of experiences on sustainable development

The Agenda 2030 Stakeholder Forum is a platform for substantive debate, exchange of experience and networking between different communities. It aims at sustainable development and the dissemination of knowledge on that subject.

The Global Partnership for Sustainable Development was launched in 2017. It is expanded each year to include more institutions, business and organisations - currently it includes over 140 partners.

The initiative is open to all persons who remain close to sustainable business. In addition to signing the declaration, the partners are encouraged to make an individual commitment, by which they confirm the implementation of specific actions or projects for Agenda 2030.

During the Forum, the Partnership for the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals in Poland accepted new members.

Agenda 2030 – aims and tasks

Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development) was adopted by 193 United Nations (UN) member states by Resolution of the United Nations General Assembly on 25 September 2015 in New York.

Agenda 2030 is a universal development plan for the world, defining a model of sustainable development at a global level. It focuses on the eradication of poverty in all its forms, while pursuing economic, social and environmental objectives.

The transformational changes of Agenda 2030 are included in 5 P principle (People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, Partnership):

• People - the enjoyment of universal human rights and economic achievements by all people; equal access to economic, natural resources, basic services, land, technology and finance.
• Planet - building a model of growth-friendly and inclusive development; using environmental resources rationally for a better quality of life and tackling poverty.
• Prosperity - creating jobs and ensuring inclusive growth; using new technologies and business potential to provide access to good education, health care, clean water, electricity, transport, telecommunications, facilitating business, investment, trade; working towards sustainable urban development.
• Peace - building effective, fair, open and accountable institutions guaranteeing the strengthening of the role of the law, social inclusion and co-determination; strengthening the role and responsibility of institutions supporting the rule of law, property rights, freedom of speech and media, political freedom, access to justice, non-discrimination.
• Partnership - a global partnership based on solidarity, cooperation, accountability and transparency; this includes partnerships between governments, local and regional administrations, academia, business and all stakeholders and groups.