About energy poverty during the Clean Air Forum

The Clean Air Forum provides an excellent opportunity to learn from local governments and NGOs on bottom-up activities to foster local energy transition and alleviate energy poverty. This year’s event brought together various decision-makers from diverse levels. On the first day of the Forum, central-level representation included the Minister of Climate and Environment, Paulina Hennig-Kloska; regional government – Marshal Adam Struzik; various cities – including the Mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, and the Mayor of Sierpc, Jarosław Perzyński; and rural local governments – mayors from places like Radzanów and Gierałtowice. Many participants were also public servants, including department directors, regional agency directors, municipal secretaries, and inspectors involved in energy retrofits.

At the end of the first day of the Clean Air Forum, Jacek Kisiel, deputy director of the Air Protection and Climate Policy Office, opened the panel discussion. He pointed out the results of implementing the anti-smog resolution. He discussed the CARE project, which will better identify individuals affected by varieties of energy poverty in Warsaw municipal buildings.

Then, Professor Szymon Firląg from the Warsaw University of Technology moderated the lively discussion at the end of the conference day. Representatives Dorota Zawadzka-Stępniak and Magdalena Jarkulisz, responsible for air protection and climate policy in Warsaw and Metropolis GZM, highlighted the importance of better coordination between Clean Air and Stop Smog nationwide programs, along with supplementary offerings.

Paweł Gontarczyk from the Mazovian Social Policy Center recommended the latest energy poverty report for Mazovia to get robust information. Jan Frankowski stressed the need for targeted actions in municipalities, where energy poverty has been less studied compared to national and regional levels.

Audience questions addressed solutions for vulnerable groups like elderly women living alone, heavily impacted by energy poverty in Poland, and strategies for reaching those not covered by social assistance. Suggestions included engaging social support networks through village leaders and volunteer fire brigades, which will be outlined in the upcoming IBS Policy Paper.

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The Clean Air Forum took place for the seventh time. The Forum’s organisers were the Office of the Marshal of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship, Metropolis GZM, Mazovian Energy Agency, and the City Office of Warsaw.