Ochrona i zagospodarowanie strategicznych zasobów węgla kamiennego – inne spojrzenie (Artykuł polemiczny)

Węgiel kamienny, jako kopalina, zgodnie z naszym prawem zaliczony został do zasobów strategicznych, to znaczy mających istotne znaczenie, najważniejszych. Czy te cechy w dalszym ciągu opisują węgiel jako zasób strategiczny? Czas najwyższy na rozważenie jego dotychczasowej pozycji i nadanie mu nowej roli i nowego wymiaru.

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Coal as a mineral, according to Polish law, has been credited to strategic resources, which are relevant, very important. The most important are those resources that are valuable, rare, difficult to imitate and well organized. These features create the famous model VRIO Barney and although has been designed for resources of companies in the context of a competitive advantage, it can successfully be used to describe the resources of a much larger organization like the state. Are these qualities continue to describe coal as a strategic resource? I have many doubts. Strategic role of coal has been derived from its position as the main energy resource, ensuring energy security of the country. We hear everywhere that coal is still our wealth, national treasure, black gold, but we did not notice that the world has changed and with it, the position of coal as the main raw material for energy production. It is true that coal exports in post-war Poland was a major provider of foreign exchange, it is true that the Polish energy sector is based on coal, because it was “cheap” and easily accessible, and that continued participation of coal in electricity production hovers around 60%. But perhaps now is the time for deliberation of its current position and giving it a new role and a new dimension. This is a task for the coming years and on this basis must be built development strategy Polish energy sector in the context of energy security. The consequence of this approach will be to rationalize the management of coal resources and sensible, smart protection, free from ideological backgrounds.