ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Outline of Ecological and Economic Problems
Associated with Low Emission Reductions
in Poland’s Lubuskie Voivodeship
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1
Faculty of Economics and Management, University of Zielona Gora, Zielona Gora, Poland
2
Faculty of Engineering and Economics, Wroclaw University of Economics, Wroclaw, Poland
Submission date: 2017-10-19
Final revision date: 2018-01-02
Acceptance date: 2018-01-18
Online publication date: 2018-08-13
Publication date: 2018-11-20
Corresponding author
Maciej Dzikuć
University of Zielona Góra, Licealna 9, 65-417 Zielona Góra, Poland
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2019;28(1):65-72
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ABSTRACT
According to estimates by the World Health Organization, approximately 44,000 people die prematurely
each year in Poland due to excessive air pollution. The European Commission brought a lawsuit against
Poland to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg in 2015 for failure to comply with EU air quality
legislation. Due to poor air quality, Poland has been threatened with penalties that could reach €1 billion.
Although Poland has managed to significantly reduce emissions from industrial plants, a very serious
problem with low emissions persists. This article aims to identify the main sources of low emissions in
Lubuskie Province and to indicate the environmental benefits resulting from the modernization of the
central heating system, involving the replacement of boilers. The article points out that reducing low
emissions from boilers in private houses, due to its significant share in air pollution and the fact that this
is an underreported problem, could bring a significant positive ecological effect. Analysing the issue from
an economic viewpoint, it should be noted that replacing inefficient coal-powered boilers so far provides
the largest ecological effect in relation to the investment costs.