Poles Apart

Poland has been to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) arguing that the European Union's mechanism for cutting CO2 emissions across the EU was unfair to them. This is because the EU's system uses natural gas-based benchmarks whilst Poland's economy is run almost exclusively on coal (See picture).

Basically this means that, when the EU hand out allowances under it's Emissions Trading System (ETS), Poland won't be getting enough. Effectively driving up the price of their energy year after year and raising the prices of goods and services. Of all the 27 countries in the EU, they will end up being hit hardest by the ETS.

The ECJ dismissed their complaint, saying the EU had not acted unfairly.

The Poles, understandably, were dismayed by the verdict and are considering whether to appeal.

Whilst I understand their reluctance to drop coal (They have lots of it and it's very cheap), they should just accept the inevitable and do just that. The EU was already commited to dramatically cutting carbon emissions before the Poles joined. Regardless of how this was to be done, Poland would have to make big changes anyway. Or did they think they'd be exempt?

Instead of fighting it (They've already vetoed EU plans to cut emissions faster. See here), they should start working out how to make the switch now. They could begin that by talking to one of their own major energy providers, PGE, who already have ideas in that direction.

At the end of the day, whilst the transition may be painful, they can console themselves that they will be playing their part in sparing future generations of Poles the nightmare of climate change.

More background here.