TOGETAIR 2021: First day behind us! New declarations, important decisions and strong emotions during the debates!

8 a.m., Wednesday morning at the Sofitel Victoria hotel in the centre of Warsaw – this is where the second edition of the TOGETAIR Climate Summit kicked off. 

 

Minister of Climate Opens Climate Summit

The Summit was opened by the Minister of Climate and Environment, Michał Kurtyka, emphasizing the enormous progress that Poland has recently made in terms of ecological challenges: We’ve taken a quantum leap forward in terms of how we want to complete the energy transition.

Polish Climate Report Published

The Minister’s opening speech was followed by the official presentation of the Climate Report – the only project of its kind in Poland.

We are pleased to announce the publication of the first multimedia TOGETAIR Climate Report. Its aim is to provide all those interested in ecology with an overview of the activities of Polish economic sectors related to environmental protection. This is the first climate report available to the general public. It is full of studies, descriptions, trends, assessments and directions for the coming years in the context of a changing climate. We hope that the report will inspire improvements in the area of environmental protection - comments Agata Śmieja, President of the Clean Air Foundation and initiator of the TOGETAIR Climate Summit.

“Green Railway” Programme: Letter of Intent Signed

CTL Logistics and PKP Energetyka signed a letter of intent regarding the “Green Railway” programme, which was another remarkable event of the summit. The purpose of the collaboration is CTL Logistics’ shift towards green energy. Pursuant to the President of PKP Energetyka, Wojciech Orzech, by 2030 it will be possible to power 85 % of the Polish trains with renewable sources.

Thematic debates – emotions and facts

Then, after the morning’s excitement, the participants could follow debates and thematic panels devoted to Poland’s ecological challenges and concerns.

The first discussion was attended by the Minister of Climate, Michał Kurtyka, who presented his assumptions of Poland’s energy policy and its future energy mix. The Minister pointed out the inevitability of the changes we face as a country in the context of climate challenges as well as more down-to-earth issues, i.e. the aging energy infrastructure.

The next panel gathered experts in e-mobility. Representatives of the automotive market, central government and regulators discussed how to combat the biggest barriers to the development of electric cars, that is, the high price and the still relatively poor infrastructure. 

“Clean Air Programme” was the main focus of the third debate. The programme’s idea was widely appreciated. However, greater involvement and access to new EU funds was expected, indicating that the fight against smog requires greater investment. The panellists tackled the issue of “energy poverty and exclusion” of the poorest with no access to assistance programs.

The Summit brought a novelty: EKO-RING, a heated confrontation between Jan Śpiewak, a city activist, and Konrad Płochocki, a representative of the Association of Real Estate Developers. The topic was the fight against so called “betonoza” (Polish equivalent for a concrete jungle), but also new initiatives to improve the image of the residential investment market.

The Summit continued with very important topics – the border carbon tax, green energy in the context of housing and water management. Thanks to an in-depth analysis of these issues, the viewers were able to learn not only opinion, but also climate policy assumptions in the areas indicated for the coming years.

The first day of the TOGETAIR 2021 Climate Summit highlighted the importance of the event. It is not only a knowledge pill; it inspires bold actions and stirs up powerful emotions. Above all, however, it is a forum for exchanging ideas about the green challenges facing Poland and each of us as consumers.