Successful policies for a just energy transition: three solutions from Poland’s residential energy sector

The energy transformation of Poland’s residential sector began in the early 1990s, transitioning from a centrally planned to a market-based economy. Many indicators suggest that it reached a tipping point in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The transformation of Poland’s residential energy sector is critical to achieving the country’s energy and climate policy goals for two reasons. First, households in Poland utilize 90 per cent of all coal consumed in the EU’s residential sector. Second, in 2020, almost 80 per cent of the coal used for individual heating in the residential sector in Poland was imported from Russia. In this light, we examine the trajectory of change in Poland’s residential sector during the decarbonization process from the 1990s to 2022, highlight how the Russian invasion of Ukraine may affect the process beyond 2022, and provide policy recommendations based on our findings.