Climate change issues in the policies of the EU and Polish cities

Abstract

This article presents the assumptions of climate policy and the mechanisms of its implementation in selected Polish cities. The analysis addresses two levels: the EU and the municipal level. Initially, a qualitative analysis was conducted on key documents from the European Union and strategies and plans from Polish cities, followed by their comparison against the current trends in climate policy shaped by the European Union and the United Nations. The study highlights the most significant official documents influencing contemporary discourse on climate change. Three large Polish provincial centers – Bydgoszcz, Gdańsk, and Wrocław – were selected as case studies. The article discusses selected examples of European climate policy implementation in these cities, with a focus on actions taken by local governments. The study enables the formulation of general conclusions regarding the inclusion of climate change issues in legislation at both the European Union and municipal levels in Poland. It demonstrates the increased importance of climate policy in European legislation and the manner in which Polish cities implement its provisions, typically through infrastructure investments. These expenditures are often reduced by repurposing the existing infrastructure.

Keywords

• anthropogenic climate change
• urban policy
• European Union policy
• urban development
• sustainable development