Distr.
GENERAL
FCCC/NC/18
2 April 1996
Original: ENGLISH
In accordance with decision 9/2 of the Intergovernmental
Negotiating Committee of the Framework Convention on Climate Change
(INC/FCCC) and endorsed by the Conference of the Parties in its
decision 3/CP.1 (FCCC/CP/1995/7/Add.1), the secretariat is to make
available, in the official languages of the United Nations, the
executive summaries of the national communications submitted by Annex
I Parties.
Note: Executive summaries of national communications issued
prior to the first session of the Conference of the Parties bear the
symbol A/AC.237/NC/___.
GE.96-
Natural Resources and Forestry Department of Air and Land Protection Warszawa, Wawelska 52/54 Fax No. (48 22) 25 20 03 |
This document has been submitted without formal
editing.
The aim of the report
1. The aim of this report is to present to the Conference of the
Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC), according to Article 12, paragraphs 1 and 2, the policy of
the Polish Government implemented in actions leading to the
fulfilment of obligations the Convention.
2. The report covers the inventory of the greenhouse gases
emission sources and sinks in Poland, in the base year 1988, the
assessed emission of the greenhouses gases for the year 2000,
information on the actions planned and undertaken that aim to limit
the emission and to increase sinks of these gases and on the
possibilities to adapt Polish economy to changed climatic
conditions.
Poland's commitments of the
Convention
3. The ratification of the Convention put upon the Annex I Parties
commitments to stabilize the greenhouse gases emission by the year
2000 on the level of 1990. The consequence of this obligation is the
preparation and the implementation of the national programme of
actions aimed to achieve this goal.
4. Article 4, paragraph 6, of the Convention allows countries with
economies in transition a certain flexibility in the implementation
of the commitments under the Convention. Taking into account the
above, the Polish Government acknowledges the right of Poland to
accept the year 1988 as reference year for the implementation of the
commitments to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change instead of the year 1990 provided by the Convention; and
moreover, to the partial implementation of the commitments concerning
the greenhouse gases emission stabilisation.
The Polish economy specific features
5. In the Polish economy the main primary energy source is coal,
and its consumption in the base year was 76.5 per cent. In 1992, this
decreased to 75.3 per cent, with the increased use of oil and natural
gas.
6. Polish industry is dominated by the raw material industries
with relatively high participation of low processed products, with
high energy and raw materials consumption, and the low rate of
production renewal. The industry has a decisive role in the
generation of the gross national product (GNP), but the data for 1992
shows that there is a tendency for its reduction.
7. In 1989 Poland entered the path of thorough structural and
economic change. The Government priorities are mainly focused on the
country's economy modernization and restructuring, with proper
account given to such problems as privatisation, unemployment, social
protection for the impoverished groups of the society,
etc.
8. The main aim of the Polish economy for the coming decades is to
realize complex reforms in all sectors to lower the energy and raw
materials consumption, which should help in the implementation of the
sustainable development principles. In the economy it is expressed in
the tendency for such a conduct of economic activities, that with
minimum use of the non-renewable resources (energy and raw materials)
and with minimum environmental impact, the products achieved would be
of a proper value, with a substantial role of improved technological
know-how.
9. The efficiency of further actions is highly dependent on the
success of the social and economic reforms programme initiated in
1999. Due to the direct impact of the greenhouse gases reduction
actions on the state of the economy, the implementation of the
commitments of the Convention will depend on the success of the
reforms programme.
The ecological policy goals in the field of greenhouse
gases
10. Taking into account the above-mentioned social and economic
priorities of Poland it is understandable that the problem of
greenhouse gases emission reduction taken separately is not a
priority goal. However, the need to ensure the economic
competitiveness and the efficient use of fossil fuels bring about the
situation when realised actions allow to reduce the greenhouse gases
emission (particularly carbon dioxide).
11. This goal should be achieved with market economy mechanisms,
such as price changes to world's market prices levels, cessation of
the subsidies for the majority of the economic sectors, financial
support for the industrial plants modernisation, etc.
12. The limitation of carbon dioxide emissions to the level agreed
in the international forum is one of the long term goals of the State
Environment Policy approved by the Parliament (Sejm) of the Republic
of Poland in 1991.
The greenhouse gases inventory for the year
1988
13. The inventory of greenhouse gases of anthropogenic emissions
and sinks in Poland shows that emissions (in Gg) of these gases in
1988 were:
carbon dioxide (CO2) - 483 700
methane (CH4) - 6 060
nitrous oxide (N2O) - 73
nitrogen oxides (NOx,) - 600
carbon oxide (CO) - 2 730
non-methane volatile organic compounds NMVOCs - over
352
14. The values given above are valid for the base year and are the
reference level for the assessment of Poland's implementation of the
Convention commitments fulfilment.
15. Carbon dioxide retention in agriculture amounted to 11 750 Gg,
and in forests 18 280.
The actions aimed at the greenhouse gas emissions
reduction undertaken since 1988
16. The comparison of the 1988, 1990 and 1992 inventories
indicates that the emissions of the most important greenhouse gases
has a decreasing tendency. The permanence of tendency for the carbon
dioxide emission decrease is proven by the fact that in spite of the
GNP growth in 1992 a further emission decrease is noted.
17. This is due to the lowering energy consumption in the whole
economy. The greenhouse gases emission reduction is caused not only
by the economic recession resulting in reduced production and the
decrease of the primary energy demand, but also by the economic
reform forcing the actions, propitious for the greenhouse gases
emission limitation. An example of such action is the large-scale
activities aimed to eliminate the use of coal in small boiler-houses,
in households and small production plants and to replace it with
another energy carrier like gas or fuel oil. The inventories of such
actions made in several areas of the country show that they resulted
in the reduction of carbon dioxide by about 6500 Gg during the years
1989-1993.
18. Actions are also undertaken to increase the carbon dioxide
absorption by forests, by increased forestation. Since 1988 till 1993
the forested area has increased by about 60 000
hectares.
Strategies and directions of the actions adopted by the
Government in the field of the greenhouse gas emissions
reduction
19. The main goals of the Polish economy are laid down in the
document "The Strategy for Poland 1995-1997", approved by the
Government and by the Parliament of the Republic of
Poland.
20. The document assumes:
the increase of GNP by 22 per cent;
the inflation decrease to less that 10 per cent per
year;
the unemployment decrease.
21. Existing strategies and project prepared by the Ministries
assume:
changes leading to industrial production efficiency
increase;
implementation of the programme for the increase of the efficiency
of energy use;
rationalization of transportation and carriage
system;
directing agriculture to the improvement of product quality and
forestry to forest husbandry;
rationalization;
implementation of water protection and use rationalization
programme;
implementation of the waste re-use programme.
The expected results of the assumed economic strategies in
greenhouse gas emissions and sinks assessment in
2000
22. The forecast concerning the greenhouse gases emission, particularly carbon dioxide emissions, the most important because of its volume, indicate that in the year 2000 the emission of these gases should not exceed the 1988 level.