Summary of the anti-smog actions in Małopolska in 2020

The Marshal’s Office of the Małopolska Region has summarised the actions of all municipalities and counties in the implementation of the Air Protection Programme for the Małopolska Region in 2020.

The summary presents information on actions taken, such as: liquidation of low-efficiency heating installations, expansion and modernisation of gas and heating networks, thermomodernisation of buildings, investments in RES, expansion of cycle paths. An important element of the summary is also information on expenses incurred and environmental effects achieved. The summary was prepared on the basis of annual reports received.

From year to year the air quality in Małopolska improves. This is indicated by data from air quality monitoring stations. This is the result of numerous investments undertaken in the municipalities of our region.

– comments on the summary of the Air Quality Programme for Małopolska Deputy Marshal Tomasz Urynowicz.

Air quality monitoring conducted in 2020 indicates improvement of air quality in the Małopolskie Region. Despite the fact that exceedances of pollutant concentrations still occur in all areas of the region, it should be noted that the values of concentrations have decreased, especially as regards the levels of particulate matter PM10, PM2.5 and benzo(a)pyrene.

Elimination of coal-fired furnaces and boilers

In 2020, inefficient solid fuel heat sources were eliminated in Małopolska in a total of 10,207 buildings/locations, including 68 in Kraków and 10,139 in municipalities outside Kraków. In comparison, in 2019 a total of 15,004 boilers were eliminated, of which 4,186 in Krakow and 10,818 outside Krakow. In September 2019, the ban on burning solid fuels in installations came into force in Krakow, so most solid fuel boilers were replaced before this period. This means that while the number of boiler replacements in Krakow is falling for obvious reasons, in the other municipalities in Małopolska the number of replacements remains stable.

In the region 7 048 thermal modernisations of residential buildings were carried out and 10 191 investments in renewable energy sources were made. It should be emphasized that this represents a several-fold increase compared to previous years. The number of thermo-modernisations increased 5 times, while the number of RES installations increased 10 times compared to the previous year.

I am very pleased that more and more Małopolska residents are making use of ecological solutions. We are noting numerous investments in renewable energy sources. Certainly, subsidies from the “Clean Air” programme, which promotes ecological heat sources such as heat pumps or photovoltaic panels, are helpful in this respect.

– added Deputy Marshal Tomasz Urynowicz.

Controls

Most of the municipalities have undertaken numerous inspections with regard to compliance with the anti-smog resolution and the ban on waste burning by residents. In 2020, a total of 16.7 thousand inspections were carried out, during which 992 cases of non-compliance with the Resolution and 833 cases of waste incineration were detected, representing 10% of all inspections. Fines were imposed in the total amount of PLN 138.6 thousand, and 268 cases were referred to court.

Activities of municipalities

One of the most important functions in supporting residents is performed by Eco-managers employed in the municipalities. In 2020 there were a total of 104 such Eco-managers in Malopolska. Additionally, out of the total of 182 municipalities as at the end of 2020, 88 had established service points for the Clean Air Programme. Their number will gradually increase due to the provisions introduced in the Air Quality Programme obliging to establish such points. In accordance with the Programme, from 2021 it is recommended that at least 1% of the commune budget should be allocated to air protection measures, including, inter alia, the employment of Eco-managers and the establishment and operation of service points for the Clean Air Programme. According to the information received, in 2020 99 municipalities allocated more than 0.5% of their own funds to air protection, including 68 municipalities that allocated more than 1%.

Transport

A total of 33 low-emission public transport buses were purchased in the region in 2020. A total of over 270 km of new bicycle paths have been added in Małopolska, and 59 municipalities have carried out campaigns promoting the use of sustainable forms of transport.