PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Air pollution has been a constant problem in Poland for many years. According to the WHO data, 33 of the 50 most polluted cities in the EU are in Poland. The problem of poor air quality affects the entire southern part of Poland, where the permitted levels of pollutants (PM10, PM2.5 and B(a)P) have been and continue to be exceeded. According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), smog causes the premature death of around 46.3 thousand people in Poland every year and more than half of the population of the Podkarpackie Region is exposed to higher-than-normal levels of the carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene. In addition, there is an increasing incidence of energy poverty, also due to energy market disruptions and high energy prices. To improve air quality in the region, a strategic document, the Air Quality Plan (AQP), was developed. It consists of two parts: the Air Quality Plan for the Podkarpackie Region and the Air Quality Plan for the Rzeszow City Zone. Both documents were adopted by the Podkarpackie Regional Assembly in 2020. The tool to implement the AQP is the Resolution on the introduction of restrictions on the operation of installations in which fuel is burned, the so-called ‘Anti-Smog Resolution’, which was adopted by the Podkarpackie Regional Assembly in 2018.
OBJECTIVES
The main objective of the project is the effective implementation of the Air Quality Plan for the Podkarpackie region, through the elimination of existing barriers, the development and implementation of best practices, and the mobilisation of available public and private funds.
Specific project objectives:
- reduce energy poverty among the residents of the region by 2033;
- develop and implement a rational energy management system in 5 municipalities;
- increase the awareness level among residents of the region on air quality and energy efficiency issues;
- introduce a more effective use of spatial planning tools and/or instruments to improve air quality in cities;
- establish a coordinated support system for municipal authorities and strengthen human resources for the implementation of the Air Quality Plan;
- provide assistance to residents in obtaining financial support for the replacement of heating sources and for the thermal modernisation of buildings;
- ensure the availability of national and EU funds in support of investment in air protection activities;
- increase the competence and knowledge of municipal staff responsible for enforcing air quality and energy efficiency measures.
RESULTS
The following results are planned to be achieved during the project implementation period:
- elimination of approximately 325,000 outdated, unclassified solid fuel boilers by 2026;
- at least 48% increase in primary renewable energy production in the Region by 2033;
- annual reduction of CO2 by 5,852.7 tonnes eq CO2/year;
- annual reduction of PM10 by 804.09 Mg/year;
- annual reduction of PM2.5 by 631.53 Mg/year;
- annual reduction of B(a)P by 0.2795 Mg/year;
- reduction of the area particularly vulnerable to climate change by at least 260.7 ha by 2033;
- 100% reduction in the areas of the region that exceed the current and target permissible levels of air pollution of PM10, PM2.5 and benzo(a)pyrene, and a reduction of the number of residents exposed to air pollution (no individuals exposed to air pollution after 2026);
- 5 Municipal Adaptation Plans/Updates.
