Poland on the way to SDGs. Report 2025

Mitigating climate change and dealing with its effects is one of the greatest challenges of our time. The emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) are among the main factors negatively affecting the climate. In many European Union countries, including Poland, a gradual decline in these emissions has been observed for years. The pace and scale of these changes vary depending on the country, sector and type of substances emitted.

Total emissions of greenhouse gases in the EU in 2023 were 19% lower than in 2015. In Poland, however, the decrease was twice as small (9%). The Polish economy emits between 350 million and 410 million tonnes of greenhouse gases annually (in the CO₂ equivalent). In 2023, this accounted for over 11% of the total emissions in the EU (compared to 10% in 2015). The only countries with larger emissions were Germany (the largest emitter in the EU, responsible for over 20% of all emissions), and France and Italy (responsible for over 12% each). In Poland, as in the whole EU, most greenhouse gases (over 80%) are generated as a result of energy production, i.e. come mainly from fuel combustion and are released directly from fuels. The remaining emissions are produced by agriculture (nearly 10%), industrial processes and product use (6%), as well as by waste management (1%).

In Poland, the annual per capita amount of greenhouse gases emitted by the economy into the atmosphere is approximately 9 tonnes. Between 2015 and 2023, this level remained fairly stable, and higher than the EU average. To compare, the emissions of greenhouse gases per capita in the EU fell from over 7 tonnes to less than 6 tonnes during the same period. Many Member States reduced their emissions, in some cases significantly so (e.g. Estonia, Germany, the Netherlands). As a result, nowadays Poland is the 4th largest emitter of greenhouse gases per capita in the EU (while in 2015, it used to be the 9th).

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, largely responsible for the global warming, account for approximately 80% of the total greenhouse gas emissions. In Poland between 2015 and 2023, CO₂ emissions ranged from 265 million to over 300 million tonnes per year. The highest emissions of this gas were recorded in 2021, when the economy began to recover after the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated restrictions. Poland is one of the most emission-intensive economies in the EU, responsible for over 10% of EU total CO₂ emissions. It produces more CO₂ per capita than the EU average. Between 2015 and 2023, Poland emitted approximately 7–8 tonnes of CO₂ per capita a year, while the EU average in the same period was 5 tonnes.

Poland continues to struggle with excessive emissions of suspended particulates (PM10 and PM2.5). Although these emissions are lower today than they were over ten years ago, they still have a negative impact on air quality. Poland’s emissions of suspended particulates account for approximately one-fifth of the total emissions of these pollutants in the EU. The amount of suspended particulates emitted in Poland per capita is higher than in most Member States.

According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), in 2023, 1.5 kg of PM2.5 suspended particulates was released into the atmosphere per capita in Poland. Although this was less than in 2015 (when PM2.5 emissions per capita amounted to 2.4 kg), it was still more than the EU average (1.2 kg per capita). In 2023, Poland ranked the 6th largest emitter of PM2.5 in the EU. This marked a slight improvement compared to 2015, when it ranked the 7th, but nevertheless the country is still far from the top EU countries with the cleanest air.

Similar changes can be observed in the case of the emissions of PM10 suspended particulates. In Poland, their emissions per capita fell from 4.5 kg to 3.5 kg in 2023. To compare, average emissions per capita in the EU fell from 3.0 kg to 2.5 kg during the same period. Despite this improvement, Poland is still among the top ten EU countries with the highest PM10 emissions per capita.