Energy Transformation Towards Climate Neutrality by 2050: The Case of Poland Based on CO2 Emission Reduction in the Public Power Generation Sector

The European Union’s energy transition is based on three fundamental pillars, the realisation of which is intended to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. These pillars comprise the decarbonization of the economy, the development of renewable energy sources (RES), and the improvement of energy efficiency. The prevailing decarbonization trend involves a systematic reduction in the use of fossil fuels across the economy and their replacement with energy derived from low-emission and renewable sources. These objectives pose a significant challenge, particularly for countries such as Poland, where electricity generation remains predominantly reliant on hard coal and lignite. In recent years, a substantial reduction in CO2 emissions has been observed in the energy sector, primarily due to the increasing share of renewables in the electricity generation mix. The main energy companies, most of which are majority-owned by the State Treasury, have developed specific strategies to meet these targets. This article analyses the strategic documents of domestic energy companies together with other publicly available sources. Based on these documents, projections have been developed regarding the decommissioning of individual generating units in public power plants and combined heat and power facilities fuelled by hard coal and lignite. Scenario-based analyses were then conducted, drawing on these projections and assumptions, to assess the potential scale of CO2 emission reductions from the domestic energy sector through to 2050.