Energy security discussion at the Polish Embassy with Chris Skidmore MP
18.10.2022
On 18 October 2022, the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in London hosted a discussion on energy security, organised in cooperation with the Public Policy Projects think tank.
Diplomats from seven countries and representatives of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Kingdom discussed, among other topics, the composition of different countries’ energy mixes, energy transformation and the associated costs, and the effects of current trends in energy policy on the challenges related to climate change.
The discussion was moderated by Chris Skidmore, Conservative MP and former Minister of State, including Interim Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth, who in September this year was appointed by the UK Government as the Chair of the Net Zero Review.
The event was opened by Polish Ambassador Piotr Wilczek, who emphasised that Russian aggression in Ukraine has highlighted the need for more frequent meetings and discussions among like-minded countries on the emerging challenges in energy policy. The Ambassador assessed that in recent months, energy issues have gained importance in the media and public awareness, and the challenges related to maintaining the security of supply, energy availability, and efforts to protect the climate and the environment will be a permanent element of the political discussion in the coming years. He highlighted the urgent need to coordinate actions and exchange ideas aimed at quick and effective adaptation of states to the current political and economic conditions.
Ambassador Wilczek also recalled the most important achievements of Poland in the field of energy transformation and climate policy, in particular the implementation of a number of investments aimed at diversifying energy supplies. He also said that the updated strategic document “Polish Energy Policy until 2040” will take into account a fourth pillar – energy sovereignty, a special element of which is to ensure the quick independence of the domestic economy from imported fossil fuels from Russia. At the same time, the Ambassador underlined that further large investments are underway, which will strengthen the security of Poland and the countries of our region (for example, the programme of building offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea), while at the same time protecting the climate and the environment.
