Cutting Polish homes' carbon footprint requires PLN 154 bn: World Bank

The sum which covers the installation of eco-friendly heating systems and the insulation of households across the country is much higher than the amount recently earmarked by the government for fighting household-generated smog, the Dziennik daily reported.

In its report, the World Bank said that the government could subsidise up to 90-100 percent of costs in the case of the poorest home owners.

Also, local governing bodies could put in place a two- or three-year subsidy programme to help households transition to high-quality fuel, the World Bank added.

In early June Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced Poland would earmark PLN 130 bn for improving air quality and putting an end to the county’s smog problems over the next decade.

The new Clean Air programme would include funds for improving the energy efficiency of homes, Morawiecki said.

A report recently released by PwC showed that Polish cities are spending increasing amounts of money of curbing smog by the year, whereas the 12 biggest cities in Poland fork out PLN 2.5 bn in total annually.

According to a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), 33 of Europe's 50 most polluted cities are in Poland. The WHO estimates that around 50,000 Poles die every year due to illness caused by air pollution.

(aba)

Source: Dziennik