Poland

Poland ranks 50th in the CCPI, down three places from last year and with a low overall rating. The country receives a low rating in GHG Emissions, Renewable Energy, and Climate Policy, and a medium in Energy Use.

As in the previous year, Poland’s political landscape is highly polarised, with both the government and far-right opposition influencing policy outcomes. Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government is generally more ambitious in implementing climate policy than the former PiS-led government, but it still lacks climate ambition and courage, according to the CCPI country experts. They agree that most of the progress visible for greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction must be attributed to EU regulatory frameworks, including the EU Emission Trading System (ETS). As the country has yet to submit its revised NECP, the experts remain sceptical of the current government’s performance, both nationally and internationally. It must be noted, though, that the government’s attempts to scale up onshore wind capacity by removing bottlenecks have been vetoed by the president who, after the presidential elections held in May and June, continues to be a representative of the opposition. The experts also mention the weak support for dispersed energy, especially for energy civic communities, despite their importance as an element of national security in Poland.

Coal reliance persists, renewables capacity is limited, energy incentives would help

In renewable energy, the experts point out the persistent overall reliance on coal. However, the experts affirm positive developments, citing an active prosumer culture, growing numbers of small photovoltaics (PVs) installed by individual households, and a focus on energy production diversification. Notably, the construction and planned expansion of offshore wind power sparks hope of an accelerated transition away from coal. Nevertheless, the experts criticise weak planning, a lack of political decisiveness, and limited capacities for renewables integration into the grid as impeding decarbonisation efforts.

The experts also call for a clear vision for increased energy efficiency and report weak performance in crucial policy areas such as building renovation, industry incentives, and transport decarbonisation. Some examples such as the popular Clean Air residential subsidy programme that provides co-financing for thermal modernisation, show potential for ramping up ambition. The experts also welcome other initiatives such as support for restoring natural water conditions in drained peatlands and reinforced efforts in forest protection.

The experts agree on the detrimental effects of continued state aid for coal mining and the lack of realistic coal phase-out plan. They see the delayed national coal phase-out in conjunction with large-scale support for developing gas infrastructure as a significant weakness that urgently needs to be addressed to ensure alignment with EU targets and regulations.

Taken to court for overdue NECP, net-zero roadmap is needed, along with better international cooperation

The experts continue to have concern about the absence of a national long-term climate neutrality strategy and a final updated integrated NECP, and this considerably influenced the country’s Climate Policy rating. In early October 2025, the EU Commission decided to refer Poland to the Court of Justice of the European Union for not submitting a revised NECP in time. The current government’s scepticism toward an ambitious EU 2040 target also negatively affects the policy assessment.

Overall, the experts call for establishing an overarching roadmap toward net-zero emissions, including an ambitious rescheduling of the coal exit and stronger mitigation efforts in non-energy sectors, and faster renewables rollout. They also demand the already overdue submission of both the updated NECP and the long-term climate strategy to ensure compliance with EU law. More concretely, the experts want to see a ramp-up of support for mining regions in their transition process to pave the way for a just transition. Internationally, the experts call for stronger participation in climate finance and an end to efforts aimed at weakening the EU climate targets. The experts also urge Poland to set up a coordinated national approach for adaptation to address climate change impacts with the necessary capacities and resources.

Key Outcomes

CCPI Experts

The following national experts agreed to be mentioned as contributors for this year’s CCPI:

• Andrzej Kassenberg (Institute for Sustainable Development Foundation)
• Marta Anczewska & Aleksander Åšniegocki (Reform Institute)