News Global Market Poland 1732 19 March 2026
Senior government officials cite rising energy prices due to the emissions trading system
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated on the eve of the EU leaders’ summit that Poland would demand country-specific solutions regarding the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS). This was reported by Polskie Radio.
Speaking before a cabinet meeting earlier this week, Tusk stated that his government has already taken steps to “neutralize ETS1” and shape the discussion surrounding the future ETS2.
According to him, Poland will demand specifically Polish solutions that take into account the country’s situation, in which the ETS is a significant and decisively negative factor when it comes to energy prices.
On March 17, Polish President Karol Nawrocki released a letter to Donald Tusk in which he called on the government to adopt a position that would fully protect Poles from the further consequences of climate policy — ideally by withdrawing from the ETS. If this proves impossible, Nawrocki called for deep and immediate reforms of the system, including the introduction of price caps on allowances, the exclusion of financial institutions from the carbon market to limit speculation, and a complete rejection of the planned expansion of ETS2.
At the same time, Deputy Climate Minister Urszula Zielińska rejected calls to abandon the European scheme. She warned that this would cost Poland nearly 300 billion zlotys (€70.44 billion) in funding for the energy transition by 2032.
As a reminder, in February of this year, ministers from 11 EU member states called for a major overhaul of the ETS system to stabilize prices, protect energy-intensive industries, and stimulate investment in clean technologies.
