Speaking ahead of a cabinet meeting, Tusk said his government had already taken steps to "defuse ETS1" and shape the debate around the incoming ETS2 system.
"Poland will demand specifically Polish solutions that respect our situation, in which ETS is a significant and negatively decisive factor when it comes to energy prices," he said.
The remarks come ahead of an EU summit on Thursday, where ETS – a carbon trading scheme aimed at lowering greenhouse gas emissions – is set to dominate discussions among European leaders.
President Karol Nawrocki has written to Tusk urging the government to adopt a position that would "fully protect Poles from the further consequences of climate policy" – ideally by withdrawing from ETS altogether.
Should a full exit prove unachievable, Nawrocki called for deep and immediate reforms, including capping permit prices, excluding financial institutions from the carbon market to limit speculation and scrapping the planned ETS2 extension entirely.
Meanwhile, Deputy Climate Minister Urszula Zielińska pushed back against calls to abandon the scheme, warning that doing so would cost Poland nearly PLN 300 billion (EUR 70.44 billion) in energy transition funding by 2032 – money she said was being invested in modernising the country's energy sector and reducing dependence on imported fuels.
ETS2, which will extend carbon pricing to transport and construction, is due to come into force in 2028 after EU member states approved a one-year delay earlier this month.
(ał)
Source: PAP