Discussions about the “Clean Air” Programme so far have overlooked the importance of investments in thermal renovation and the possibility to make the heating of Polish buildings fully independent from fossil fuels. The report of the Reform Institute Investing in energy efficiency: an exception or a rule in the “Clean Air” Programme? fills this gap. It presents a comprehensive overview of how funds have been spent and what needs to change in the future.
Collected data show that since its launch in 2018, the Programme has undergone several successful reforms that have allowed it to scale up, but now is the time to improve its efficiency. In its current form, the “Clean Air” Programme mainly supports shallow renovation projects and the switch from coal to gas, which do not correspond to the long-term climate goals or the challenges resulting from the energy crisis and the Russian invasion on Ukraine.
At the same time, the report indicates that the "Clean Air" Programme has a very high potential to become an instrument for the systemic transformation of Polish buildings. This requires further evolution towards greater support of investments in deep renovation and zero-emission heating technologies.