EU aims for 3%, but for Poland even 1% is too much
dodano: 2011-03-08
Two important climate and energy papers were released today by the European Commission in Brussels. The ‘2050 Low Carbon Roadmap’ advocates that Europe should step up to its domestic emission cuts to 25% by 2020. The ‘Energy Efficiency Plan’ recognises that the EU is not on track to meeting its 2020 energy savings target of a 20% reduction in energy use compared to business as usual, and presents chosen solutions, but puts off stronger action measures until 2013.
As one of the key actions, it proposes requirement for public authorities to refurbish at least 3% of their buildings each year. At the same time weaker obligations for public sector are beeing abandoned in Poland.
At the last meeting of the Sejm (the lower house of Polish parliament) of the Republic of Poland (2-4 March 2011), deputies adopted the act on energy efficiency.. The approved version allows the Polish government to continue wasting public money. If the act would include obligation of the annual energy savings of 1% in public sector units, the state could save approximately 1,5 billion euro (6 billion Polish zloty) on energy bills each year.
The act requires manufacturers, distributors and users of energy to increase energy efficiency by a total of 9% until 2016. This obligation shall not apply to public sector, as in the opinion of Polish government, administration cannot afford the savings! According to this decision, administration will be able to pay off uncontrollably high energy bills with the taxpayers' money in years to come.
Ministry of Finance estimates that so called " 1% duty" (obligatory 1% annual energy savings in the public sector units) will cost the state budget 1 billion 700 million Polish zloty in the period of act's validity, i.e. until 2016. However, these estimates only include the most expensive investments. As shown by the multiple analysis made by the Polish Foundation for Energy Efficiency (FEWE), energy efficiency in communities can be increased by 5-10% with minimum or without any cost (by changing habits, introducing energy efficient lighting, etc.).
According to FEWE experts' calculations, 1% would mean an expense of 219 to 694 million Polish zloty depending on whether the administration would decide on a costly investment (e.g. thermomodernization) or only minor changes. All of these expenses could be funded under the public-private partnerships, for example, with the support of energy saving companies (ESCO). In which case the state budget does not spend a penny! And in addition it gains by reducing spending on energy.
Zbigniew Karaczun, Ph.D., Climate Coalition expert, claims that Poland could save around 90 million Polish zloty on energy bills each year, and the budget would benefit from additional revenue from CIT and VAT, induced by an increase in the purchase of goods and services associated with the introduction of energy efficient solutions. Accumulative savings only on energy bills, in the period of at least 15 years (lifespan of introduced solutions), the budgets of state and local governments would save 5 billion 850 million Polish zloty.
"EU decisions on climate action are not ambitious enough. The 25% target proposed by the Commission is too low. Still it is easy to predict that Poland will block it, explaining that it is too expensive for the economy. Meanwhile on the national level Poland has the opportunity to act for free, and does nothing. Energy efficiency is pure profit. It increases national energy security, leads to lower heating and electricity bills, and reduces air pollutant emissions." - says Karaczun. "But in order to improve energy efficiency, it is necessary to prepare good legal foundations. Without adequate solutions, it will be impossible, while taxpayers' money will be wasted unreasonably.
At the last meeting of the Sejm (the lower house of Polish parliament) of the Republic of Poland (2-4 March 2011), deputies adopted the act on energy efficiency.. The approved version allows the Polish government to continue wasting public money. If the act would include obligation of the annual energy savings of 1% in public sector units, the state could save approximately 1,5 billion euro (6 billion Polish zloty) on energy bills each year.
The act requires manufacturers, distributors and users of energy to increase energy efficiency by a total of 9% until 2016. This obligation shall not apply to public sector, as in the opinion of Polish government, administration cannot afford the savings! According to this decision, administration will be able to pay off uncontrollably high energy bills with the taxpayers' money in years to come.
Ministry of Finance estimates that so called " 1% duty" (obligatory 1% annual energy savings in the public sector units) will cost the state budget 1 billion 700 million Polish zloty in the period of act's validity, i.e. until 2016. However, these estimates only include the most expensive investments. As shown by the multiple analysis made by the Polish Foundation for Energy Efficiency (FEWE), energy efficiency in communities can be increased by 5-10% with minimum or without any cost (by changing habits, introducing energy efficient lighting, etc.).
According to FEWE experts' calculations, 1% would mean an expense of 219 to 694 million Polish zloty depending on whether the administration would decide on a costly investment (e.g. thermomodernization) or only minor changes. All of these expenses could be funded under the public-private partnerships, for example, with the support of energy saving companies (ESCO). In which case the state budget does not spend a penny! And in addition it gains by reducing spending on energy.
Zbigniew Karaczun, Ph.D., Climate Coalition expert, claims that Poland could save around 90 million Polish zloty on energy bills each year, and the budget would benefit from additional revenue from CIT and VAT, induced by an increase in the purchase of goods and services associated with the introduction of energy efficient solutions. Accumulative savings only on energy bills, in the period of at least 15 years (lifespan of introduced solutions), the budgets of state and local governments would save 5 billion 850 million Polish zloty.
"EU decisions on climate action are not ambitious enough. The 25% target proposed by the Commission is too low. Still it is easy to predict that Poland will block it, explaining that it is too expensive for the economy. Meanwhile on the national level Poland has the opportunity to act for free, and does nothing. Energy efficiency is pure profit. It increases national energy security, leads to lower heating and electricity bills, and reduces air pollutant emissions." - says Karaczun. "But in order to improve energy efficiency, it is necessary to prepare good legal foundations. Without adequate solutions, it will be impossible, while taxpayers' money will be wasted unreasonably.
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