The Sejm adopted a resolution to suspend trading in CO2 emission allowances

On Thursday (9 December), 232 MPs voted in favor of the resolution, 198 were against and 8 abstained. The draft was prepared by the deputies.

Deputy rapporteur Jan Warzecha (PiS) said that the draft expresses support for Poland, whose representatives are to submit a motion to change the system at the meeting of the European Council on December 16. He added that members of the parliamentary committee on energy, climate and state assets argued that the emissions system was an unfair, speculative tax.

According to the resolution, the increase in emission costs means strong increases in electricity prices

According to the resolution, the ETS trading system “has become a huge threat to Poland”. However, Donald Tusk and the governments of the Civic Platform (PO) were blamed for creating this threat, because in 2014 it was PO that accepted the climate goals at the European Council summit. In 2014, it was agreed on a 40% target to reduce CO2 emissions by 2030, and in 2020 the prime minister agreed to tighten the EU’s reduction target to 55%, counting in exchange for additional money for Poland for transformation – wrote Jacek Gądek in Gazeta.pl

According to the resolution, the increase in costs will translate into “drastic increases in electricity and heat prices of several dozen percent” in 2022. – This is a direct hit to the economic security of millions of Polish families and Polish enterprises, which are threatened by the specter of poverty, it was underlined.

Record prices of CO2 emissions

The emission allowance trading system (EU ETS) is one of the most important tools forcing EU countries to reduce greenhouse gases. The system is based on the fact that limits for their emissions have been introduced. Over time, this limit is lowered to reduce emissions. And if someone emits over the limit, he has to buy allowances for such emissions.

Currently, the cost of emissions of one ton of CO2 is record-breaking – it has reached EUR 90. For Poland, the soaring of these prices is particularly painful, because the Polish energy mix is ​​dominated by high-emission coal. The rise in carbon prices equals the rise in energy prices, and this drives inflation.