National parks and biodiversity
Poland has 23 national parks dedicated to preserving remarkable ecosystems. These include
Narew National Park: located in the north-east of the country, this park consists mainly of marshland. Classified under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, it is home to exceptional biodiversity, including a large number of bird species.
Słowiński National Park słowiński National Park : located on the country's northern coast and classified as a biosphere reserve by Unesco, it protects dune ecosystems.
Biebrza National Park : located in the north-east of the country, classified as an outstanding wetland (Ramsar), it protects all the ecosystems of the eponymous river, including peat bogs.
Tatra National Park: a cross-border biosphere reserve (with Slovakia), located in the south of the country, it preserves the ecosystems of the Tatra mountain range. It is characterized by its mountain landscapes and its great diversity of flora and fauna.
Białowieź National Park Białowieźa National Park białowieźa National Park: located in the east of the country, it protects part of the eponymous forest and its exceptional biodiversity, linked to living trees but also to dead wood. More than 12,000 animal species can be found in this Unesco World Heritage Site.
Located between Poland and Belarus, the Białowieźa Forest is considered one of the last primary forests in Europe. A reservoir of biodiversity, it also acts as a carbon sink and water filter. It is, however, under threat. In 2017, the government adopted a vast logging plan, citing an attack by wood-eating insects. However, the need for this felling was denied by scientists, and the European Commission referred the matter to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), which ordered an immediate halt to all felling. The year 2021 saw the emergence of new concerns with the government's announcement of further cuts. Faced with the situation, residents and NGOs are keeping a watchful eye. The Białowieźa Forest is also spearheading the fight to confer European legal status on primary forests. Another issue is that the ongoing construction of a wall between Belarus and Poland would result in the fragmentation of the forest. This steel structure, over 5 m high and 180 m long, is intended to hinder human migration, and would have deleterious effects not only on humans, but also on non-humans. Conserving biodiversity means maintaining ecological continuums. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has highlighted land-use change, resource exploitation, climate change, pollution and invasive alien species as factors driving biodiversity decline. The IPBES clearly warns in its report published in 2019: "Nature is declining globally at a rate unprecedented in human history - and the rate of species extinction is accelerating, already causing serious impacts on human populations worldwide" ( ipbes.net/en).
An energy mix that still contains a lot of carbon
Poland remains highly dependent on fossil fuels. In 2019, coal accounted for 43.3% of the country's energy mix (and 73.7% of electricity production), with production ranking ninth worldwide (coal and lignite). This energy source is a major emitter of greenhouse gases and pollutants (sulfur dioxide emissions). In 2013, air pollution from coal mining in Poland is estimated to have caused the premature death of almost 23,000 people. Extractive activity (coal and other minerals) is also linked to the chemical and steel industries, which are very present in the Katowice region. In September 2021, the CJEU ordered the Czech Republic to pay a fine of €500,000 per day until the Turów open-cast lignite mine is shut down. The Czech Republic had referred the matter to the Court of Justice after the mine's operating permit was extended to 2020, in connection with its environmental impact on the country.
Poland, which must - under the Paris climate agreements - achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, adopted a new energy policy in February 2021. This aims to reduce the share of coal and develop renewable energies (notably offshore wind and biomass), but also nuclear power, with the announced construction of six power plants. However, the objective of reducing greenhouse gases is insufficient to achieve carbon neutrality. In particular, the program lacks ambition when it comes to energy efficiency in buildings and the closure of coal mines on its territory. The IPCC report published in April 2022 is very clear: fossil fuels must be drastically reduced if we are to limit temperature rises to +1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. What is at stake is maintaining the conditions for a livable world for mankind. The report also highlights the need to develop alternative energies, energy efficiency and sobriety. Poland is also exposed to climate change, which translates into greater intensity of extreme events: floods, landslides, droughts and fires.
The challenges facing agriculture
Agriculture also plays a role in climate change and the decline in biodiversity. Intensive agriculture, as practiced in most of the country, requires the use of chemical inputs (cereal monocultures and apple production), which generate air, water and soil pollution. Inadequate water treatment systems add to the pollution of surface waters and the Baltic Sea. Methane emissions from intensive livestock farming also contribute to global warming.
