Poland’s coal industry and the ruling conservative PiS government have breathed a sigh of relief at the European Parliament’s backing for lower methane emission reduction targets.
In a rare show of unity among Poland’s members of the European Parliament, both Conservative PiS members in the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group and Liberal PO members in the European People’s Party worked together to protect the Polish coal industry. Members agreed that tough emissions targets would have spelt the death knell for an industry responsible for 70% of Polish power needs.
The original draft envisaged a limit of 0.5 tons of methane emissions per 1,000 tons of extracted coal from 2027, whereas the compromise, which was approved in the Parliament on May 9 by 499 votes to 73, has increased that limit to 5 tons of methane per 1,000 tons.
Since methane emissions generated by Polish coal mines are currently at eight to 14 tons per 1000 tons of coal, a 0,5 tone limit would have meant estimated penalties of up to 320 million Euro, rendering two thirds of Polish mines uneconomic by 2027 and causing tens of thousands of miners to lose their jobs.
Conservative PiS MEP Izabella Kloc, who comes from the coal mining region of Silesia, said she was pleased with the outcome. “It’s the first example for a long time that common sense wins over ideology in this most radical of EU institutions”, she said. Kloc added that “the pickaxes of Polish coal miners stopped the EU steam roller and this is a proverbial miracle on the Rhine.”
Poland’s minister for climate and environment Anna Moskwa thanked Polish MEPs for their efforts.
The amendments put forward by Polish MEPs also changed the rules with regard to the penalties to be imposed on those who exceed methane limits. The income from these penalties will go to the budget of the Member State concerned and will be used to fund investments in emission reducing technology in coal mines.
Nevertheless, even the amended draft of the EU methane directive will imply a major reduction in methane emission from coal mines and will force them into sizeable investment for emissions containment which, according to critics, could still put many mines on the verge of bankruptcy.
