The appeal published in „Rzeczpospolita” consists of 9 points in which the environmentalists justify their demand, including unprofitability of the undertaking and its negative impact on Polish energy sector.

„The investment is going to cost 12 bln zloty. Such amount would be enough to finance thermo-modernisation of 200 000 single-family houses, 10 000 small and medium farms and 500 large farms as well as to equip them with facilities to use renewable energy” – lists Maciej Muskat, director of Greenpeace Poland.

The environmentalists also refer to the recent statement by Krzysztof Kilian, President of the PGE Management Board, who said that this investment would be economically justified only if wholesale prices of energy increased by approx. 50%.

„There are more arguments – adds Radosław Gawlik, President of the Association Eko-Unia and former vice-minister of environment. – This investment consolidates the outdated structure of energy sector, and hiders development of a new, modern model, in which every house owner produces energy. It also deepens our dependence on coal imported from Russia and other countries”.

Marcin Stoczkiewicz, lawyer from ClientEarth Poland, an organisation monitoring environmental protection law, points out yet another risk: „This investment has been prepared with the infringement of the community Directive on underground storage of CO2, which puts us at risk of serious financial penalties. Polish government did not implement the CCS Directive on time, due to which the procedure of preparing the investment was flawed”.

In September Connie Hadegaard, the European Commissioner for Climate Action, while answering questions asked by Polish deputies regarding the case of the Opole Power Plant stated that the Member State’s delay in transposing the Directive into national law does not result in exemption from complying with the Community laws.

The appeal was signed by: Greenpeace Poland, ClientEarth Poland, Green Institute/the Green Political Foundation, Ecological Legal Services, the Society for Earth ,Silesia, WWF Poland, Association Eko-Unia, Polski Klub Ekologiczny, Association Workshop for All Beings, Alliance of Associations Polish Green Network.

Further information:
Michał Olszewski, ClientEarth spokesman
tel. +48 22 307 21 03; +48 609 733 492