{"id":49948,"date":"2024-02-05T10:25:11","date_gmt":"2024-02-05T10:25:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.climatechangenews.com\/?p=49948"},"modified":"2024-03-11T17:42:41","modified_gmt":"2024-03-11T17:42:41","slug":"while-europes-green-backlash-grows-poland-protects-its-forests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.climatechangenews.com\/2024\/02\/05\/while-europes-green-backlash-grows-poland-protects-its-forests\/","title":{"rendered":"While Europe&#8217;s green backlash grows, Poland tells different story"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p><strong>Not long ago Poland embodied Europe\u2019s worst nature-destroying tendencies.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Not only did our country <a id=\"OWA28e076a5-9cb8-53bb-fa2a-a1df9509ee0c\" class=\"x_x_x_x_Hyperlink x_x_x_x_SCXW135053524 x_x_x_x_BCX8 x_x_x_x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.euractiv.com\/section\/energy-environment\/news\/poland-files-lawsuit-against-key-eu-climate-policies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-loopstyle=\"linkonly\" data-linkindex=\"1\">consistently block progressive <\/a><a id=\"OWA8de1ce83-ad3f-528b-5a2a-9f5d69ccaf52\" class=\"x_x_x_x_Hyperlink x_x_x_x_SCXW135053524 x_x_x_x_BCX8 x_x_x_x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.euractiv.com\/section\/energy-environment\/news\/poland-files-lawsuit-against-key-eu-climate-policies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-loopstyle=\"linkonly\" data-linkindex=\"2\">environmenta<\/a><a id=\"OWA3bdbdd6a-e743-41ad-d5bf-473a4ec328a2\" class=\"x_x_x_x_Hyperlink x_x_x_x_SCXW135053524 x_x_x_x_BCX8 x_x_x_x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.euractiv.com\/section\/energy-environment\/news\/poland-files-lawsuit-against-key-eu-climate-policies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-loopstyle=\"linkonly\" data-linkindex=\"3\">l<\/a> laws within the European Union (EU), but it attracted widespread<a id=\"OWAfe4726d5-812c-022e-523f-416aece0f541\" class=\"x_x_x_x_Hyperlink x_x_x_x_SCXW135053524 x_x_x_x_BCX8 x_x_x_x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/opinions\/2017\/5\/30\/polands-bialowieza-losing-the-forest-and-the-trees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-loopstyle=\"linkonly\" data-linkindex=\"4\"> <\/a><a id=\"OWA441c4711-0a81-bf20-c7f6-a301df3c9d1e\" class=\"x_x_x_x_Hyperlink x_x_x_x_SCXW135053524 x_x_x_x_BCX8 x_x_x_x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/opinions\/2017\/5\/30\/polands-bialowieza-losing-the-forest-and-the-trees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-loopstyle=\"linkonly\" data-linkindex=\"5\">scorn<\/a> for logging Europe\u2019s \u201c<a id=\"OWAe7181646-56f4-9444-08a7-f15ec3927feb\" class=\"x_x_x_x_Hyperlink x_x_x_x_SCXW135053524 x_x_x_x_BCX8 x_x_x_x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/commentisfree\/2016\/apr\/03\/poland-europe-bialowieza-forest-eu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-loopstyle=\"linkonly\" data-linkindex=\"6\">most precious<\/a>\u201d forest, Bia\u0142owie\u017ca.<\/p>\n<p>Bia\u0142owie\u017ca is one of the last remaining fragments of primaeval forest in Europe and a<a id=\"OWA23810cca-f389-ef7f-85ae-57f0c39aecf5\" class=\"x_x_x_x_Hyperlink x_x_x_x_SCXW135053524 x_x_x_x_BCX8 x_x_x_x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/whc.unesco.org\/en\/list\/33\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-loopstyle=\"linkonly\" data-linkindex=\"7\"> <\/a><a id=\"OWAbc488a1d-419e-158f-22a8-c1d1e502fc07\" class=\"x_x_x_x_Hyperlink x_x_x_x_SCXW135053524 x_x_x_x_BCX8 x_x_x_x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/whc.unesco.org\/en\/list\/33\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-loopstyle=\"linkonly\" data-linkindex=\"8\">Unesco<\/a> World Heritage site, which has been protected for 500 years.\u00a0Not surprisingly, a 2022 study found Poland to be the EU&#8217;s<a id=\"OWA31294b0c-bbfc-58b6-e4a0-b57564aa0a9f\" class=\"x_x_x_OWAAutoLink\" title=\"https:\/\/notesfrompoland.com\/2022\/11\/05\/poland-ranks-last-in-eu-green-index\/\" href=\"https:\/\/notesfrompoland.com\/2022\/11\/05\/poland-ranks-last-in-eu-green-index\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-loopstyle=\"linkonly\" data-linkindex=\"9\"> &#8216;least green country<\/a>&#8216;.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Our parliamentary election last October changed everything<b>. <\/b>The country\u2019s highest turnout for<a id=\"OWAd61802d0-a00a-ec0f-973a-a6275ed2850c\" class=\"x_x_x_x_Hyperlink x_x_x_x_SCXW135053524 x_x_x_x_BCX8 x_x_x_x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.lse.ac.uk\/europpblog\/2023\/10\/24\/what-we-learned-from-the-2023-polish-election\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-loopstyle=\"linkonly\" data-linkindex=\"10\"> <\/a><a id=\"OWA600aa4d2-bcf4-68ad-8df4-ee1324420327\" class=\"x_x_x_x_Hyperlink x_x_x_x_SCXW135053524 x_x_x_x_BCX8 x_x_x_x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.lse.ac.uk\/europpblog\/2023\/10\/24\/what-we-learned-from-the-2023-polish-election\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-loopstyle=\"linkonly\" data-linkindex=\"11\">more than a century<\/a> turfed out the ruling nationalist populist government in favour of a liberal-left coalition, led by Donald Tusk. And the new government has made a 180 degree turn by initiating highly ambitious measures to safeguard nature.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>These include protecting 20% of our most valuable forests from logging: equivalent to more than 1.4 million hectares of forest; restricting unprocessed wood exports; banning burning wood for energy in the commercial energy sector; giving citizens new rights to oversee forests, including being able to legally challenge how they are managed; and implementing a programme to restore wetlands and peatlands.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.climatechangenews.com\/2024\/02\/02\/india-wants-own-solar-industry-break-reliance-china\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>India wants its<\/strong> own solar industry but has to break reliance with China first<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"x_elementToProof\">These rapid, bold moves come just as parts of Europe are moving in the opposite direction, with a<a id=\"OWAb03ea155-9980-d27f-324d-0116b05d24db\" class=\"x_x_x_x_Hyperlink x_x_x_x_SCXW135053524 x_x_x_x_BCX8 x_x_x_x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/sustainability\/resistance-green-policies-around-europe-2023-08-10\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-loopstyle=\"linkonly\" data-linkindex=\"12\"> <\/a><a id=\"OWAeb392ec4-3e01-2db9-fbd1-77ad2b1ac3d5\" class=\"x_x_x_x_Hyperlink x_x_x_x_SCXW135053524 x_x_x_x_BCX8 x_x_x_x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/sustainability\/resistance-green-policies-around-europe-2023-08-10\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-loopstyle=\"linkonly\" data-linkindex=\"13\">growing<\/a><a id=\"OWA08513764-5315-4064-427a-a26519bdfe39\" class=\"x_x_x_x_Hyperlink x_x_x_x_SCXW135053524 x_x_x_x_BCX8 x_x_x_x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/commentisfree\/2023\/jul\/12\/progress-climate-european-greenlash-populist-right\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-loopstyle=\"linkonly\" data-linkindex=\"14\"> <\/a><a id=\"OWAd1705f87-03b5-38e4-dce6-18a0c66a3c38\" class=\"x_x_x_x_Hyperlink x_x_x_x_SCXW135053524 x_x_x_x_BCX8 x_x_x_x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/commentisfree\/2023\/jul\/12\/progress-climate-european-greenlash-populist-right\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-loopstyle=\"linkonly\" data-linkindex=\"15\">backlash<\/a> against policies to fight the climate crisis and protect the environment, vividly illustrated by the farmers&#8217; protests which have erupted in France, Belgium and elsewhere.<\/p>\n<div>So what drove Poland\u2019s sharp change of direction? And what lessons does it hold in a Europe where<a id=\"OWAf67e1723-30d3-d791-24bc-1dcf54f37297\" class=\"x_x_x_x_Hyperlink x_x_x_x_SCXW135053524 x_x_x_x_BCX8 x_x_x_x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/fernorg-my.sharepoint.com\/personal\/mark_fern_org\/Documents\/Docs\/FERN\/Poland%20progressive%20Augustyn%20op%20ed\/increasingly%20lambasting%20EU%20efforts%20to%20cut%20carbon%20emissions%20and%20clean%20up%20the%20environment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-loopstyle=\"linkonly\" data-linkindex=\"16\">\u00a0<\/a><a id=\"OWAd258b069-efe3-e0b9-72e3-c82cb1872edf\" class=\"x_x_x_x_Hyperlink x_x_x_x_SCXW135053524 x_x_x_x_BCX8 x_x_x_x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/fernorg-my.sharepoint.com\/personal\/mark_fern_org\/Documents\/Docs\/FERN\/Poland%20progressive%20Augustyn%20op%20ed\/increasingly%20lambasting%20EU%20efforts%20to%20cut%20carbon%20emissions%20and%20clean%20up%20the%20environment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-loopstyle=\"linkonly\" data-linkindex=\"17\">anti-green policies<\/a> are becoming a bitterly contested electoral battleground?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><b>Mass mobilisation<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Bia\u0142owie\u017ca was the catalyst for the change.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>In 2016, during an outbreak of bark beetles which attacked spruces in<b> <\/b>Bia\u0142owie\u017ca, Poland\u2019s then Environment Minister used it as an excuse to justify logging in the prehistoric forest, known as Europe\u2019s last frontier.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>I was one of many people spurred to act. I gave up my job in tourism to join the protest camp in Bia\u0142owie\u017ca, living there for eight months, joining fellow activists in patrolling the forest, making inventories of the logging and staging sit-ins to try to stop it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>The European Court of Justice<a id=\"OWAf4d7385e-53b4-0470-047b-75bac6b63fa1\" class=\"x_x_x_x_Hyperlink x_x_x_x_SCXW135053524 x_x_x_x_BCX8 x_x_x_x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/curia.europa.eu\/juris\/document\/document.jsf;jsessionid=9ea7d0f130d51f30789c97494fa1bffbd8fe295833e8.e34KaxiLc3eQc40LaxqMbN4PaNuQe0?text=&amp;docid=196944&amp;pageIndex=0&amp;doclang=EN&amp;mode=lst&amp;dir=&amp;occ=first&amp;part=1&amp;cid=387329\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-loopstyle=\"linkonly\" data-linkindex=\"18\"> <\/a><a id=\"OWA95653e2e-14cd-011a-3569-9b8d83610152\" class=\"x_x_x_x_Hyperlink x_x_x_x_SCXW135053524 x_x_x_x_BCX8 x_x_x_x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/curia.europa.eu\/juris\/document\/document.jsf;jsessionid=9ea7d0f130d51f30789c97494fa1bffbd8fe295833e8.e34KaxiLc3eQc40LaxqMbN4PaNuQe0?text=&amp;docid=196944&amp;pageIndex=0&amp;doclang=EN&amp;mode=lst&amp;dir=&amp;occ=first&amp;part=1&amp;cid=387329\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-loopstyle=\"linkonly\" data-linkindex=\"19\">ruled<\/a> that Poland was<a id=\"OWAbddeef0f-09b4-502a-17dd-e1e25a7f498f\" class=\"x_x_x_x_Hyperlink x_x_x_x_SCXW135053524 x_x_x_x_BCX8 x_x_x_x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/curia.europa.eu\/juris\/document\/document.jsf?text=&amp;docid=201150&amp;pageIndex=0&amp;doclang=EN&amp;mode=lst&amp;dir=&amp;occ=first&amp;part=1&amp;cid=428450\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-loopstyle=\"linkonly\" data-linkindex=\"20\"> <\/a><a id=\"OWAb0ff2f51-8f0b-7a9e-a225-3b9fa1d8345e\" class=\"x_x_x_x_Hyperlink x_x_x_x_SCXW135053524 x_x_x_x_BCX8 x_x_x_x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/curia.europa.eu\/juris\/document\/document.jsf?text=&amp;docid=201150&amp;pageIndex=0&amp;doclang=EN&amp;mode=lst&amp;dir=&amp;occ=first&amp;part=1&amp;cid=428450\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-loopstyle=\"linkonly\" data-linkindex=\"21\">breaching<\/a> EU environmental law and that if it didn\u2019t stop logging Bia\u0142owie\u017ca, the government would be fined \u20ac100,000 ($107,000) a day. Eventually the Polish government caved in to the massive local mobilisation and international pressure, and stopped the logging.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.climatechangenews.com\/2024\/02\/02\/shameful-shell-uses-carbon-credits-under-investigation-to-meet-climate-targets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>\u201cShameful\u201d: Shell<\/strong> uses carbon credits under investigation to meet climate targets<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>For much of Polish society, the case was a turning point.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Protests in both villages and cities across the country drew people who had never supported forest conservation before. Grassroots groups sprung up all over Poland. This wave of opposition against intensive logging grew to such an extent that there are now more than 100 groups campaigning against logging in specific local forests, and <a id=\"OWA14cd1501-5e90-f786-0210-058789e5ae16\" class=\"x_x_x_x_Hyperlink x_x_x_x_SCXW135053524 x_x_x_x_BCX8 x_x_x_x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lasy.pracownia.org.pl\/aktualnosci\/676-85-polakow-chce-wylaczenia-z-wycinek-20-proc-polskich-lasow\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-loopstyle=\"linkonly\" data-linkindex=\"22\">85% of respondents<\/a> to an opinion poll we commissioned in January\u00a0 2024 said they were in favour of excluding 20% of the most precious forests in Poland from logging.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Subsequently, for the first time in Polish history, forest conservation became a major topic in our recent election. All the opposition parties who have now formed the ruling coalition had provisions for forest conservation in their electoral programmes. These are now being acted upon.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Public pressure is being translated into concrete action despite Poland having one of Europe\u2019s biggest wood-processing industries. The new government\u00a0 &#8211; and we \u2013 are confident that it is possible to achieve forest conservation without harming the economy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><b>Pressure works<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Poland shows that what seems impossible one moment can be realistic the next: that concerted civil society pressure really works, and that if people want pro-environmental policies they must pressure their governments to implement them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Of course, as hopeful as recent developments are, they are just a start, and those who want to protect the natural world must remain vigilant. Events last year in the European Parliament show what\u2019s at stake &#8211; and how politicians can be pushed by the prevailing tides, adopting different positions depending on the setting.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Last summer the centre-right European People\u2019s Party (EPP) almost<a id=\"OWAce98a373-0e78-c35c-9968-01329ab43cf3\" class=\"x_x_x_x_Hyperlink x_x_x_x_SCXW135053524 x_x_x_x_BCX8 x_x_x_x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fern.org\/publications-insight\/eus-degraded-nature-set-to-lose-out-as-nature-restoration-law-becomes-a-pawn-in-a-political-game\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-loopstyle=\"linkonly\" data-linkindex=\"23\"> <\/a><a id=\"OWAa4aed91e-f5a8-4aba-4781-8526a678f828\" class=\"x_x_x_x_Hyperlink x_x_x_x_SCXW135053524 x_x_x_x_BCX8 x_x_x_x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fern.org\/publications-insight\/eus-degraded-nature-set-to-lose-out-as-nature-restoration-law-becomes-a-pawn-in-a-political-game\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-loopstyle=\"linkonly\" data-linkindex=\"24\">torpedoed<\/a> one of the most crucial pieces of environmental legislation currently wending its way through the EU: the Nature Restoration Law (NRL). The EPP contains a number of Polish Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from Civic Platform, part of the coalition government currently pushing through progressive forest protection policies and was once led by Donald Tusk.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.climatechangenews.com\/2024\/02\/01\/rich-nations-miss-loss-and-damage-fund-deadline\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Rich nations<\/strong> miss loss and damage fund deadline<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>The NRL would set binding targets for Member States to bring back nature across Europe, and is a<a id=\"OWAebb2de73-e443-0d83-e9f2-c903c9be81f3\" class=\"x_x_x_x_Hyperlink x_x_x_x_SCXW135053524 x_x_x_x_BCX8 x_x_x_x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/07\/28\/european-politicians-want-to-protect-forests-abroad-but-not-at-home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-loopstyle=\"linkonly\" data-linkindex=\"25\"> <\/a><a id=\"OWAd04b9a9f-cf37-e7b0-1dc0-42d1adbf4426\" class=\"x_x_x_x_Hyperlink x_x_x_x_SCXW135053524 x_x_x_x_BCX8 x_x_x_x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/07\/28\/european-politicians-want-to-protect-forests-abroad-but-not-at-home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-loopstyle=\"linkonly\" data-linkindex=\"26\">central plank<\/a> of Europe\u2019s Green Deal. We now hope that the scrutiny Civic Platform is under in Poland, leads their MEPs to support nature in the EU, and push for progressive policies in Brussels as well as at home.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Poland\u2019s transformation can be a beacon for others: showing how people can successfully mobilise to protect the ecosystems that humanity\u2019s survival depends on.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Yet we\u2019re under no illusions about the challenges we face. Our government\u2019s bold decision to immediately ban logging in vast swathes of our forests is already facing resistance from the forestry sector and others.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>This backlash against green policies is set to be one of the defining battles of the next few years. In Poland we\u2019re doing all that we can to defend what\u2019s already been achieved &#8211; and build on it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><em><strong>\u00a0Augustyn Mikos is a forest campaigner for Pracownia na rzecz Wszystkich Istot (Workshop for All Beings) and a former activist at the Camp for the Forest.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As the backlash against laws protecting nature intensifies across Europe, public pressure has helped push forests centre stage in Poland\r\n\r\n","protected":false},"author":190,"featured_media":49950,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3861,82,485],"tags":[352],"coauthors":[5140],"class_list":["post-49948","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-comment","category-eu","category-forests","tag-poland","type-comment"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Poland forests take the centre stage in new pack of green laws<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As the backlash against laws protecting nature intensifies across Europe, Poland announced new measures to protect its forests\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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