Summary of the LIFE IP Malopolska Project: Socio-Economic Analysis Prepared

With the completion of the LIFE IP Malopolska project, a detailed socio-economic analysis of the project’s impact on the Malopolska Region was prepared. The document summarizes nearly a decade of efforts to improve air quality and presents their measurable environmental, health, and economic outcomes.

The analysis shows that the number of highly polluting solid fuel boilers in Malopolska decreased from an estimated 485–540 thousand to approximately 150 thousand. As a result, the region is now among the national leaders in eliminating so-called “smokestacks.” Only 35.7% of building heating sources use solid fuels, and just 21.7% of buildings rely solely on non-certified heat sources. At the same time, 36.3% of buildings are equipped exclusively with low-emission heating systems – the best result in Poland.

The large-scale replacement of heating sources led to a 37.1% reduction in coal consumption and a 14.8% decrease in heat consumption compared to the period before the project. This resulted in a significant improvement in air quality – average exposure to PM2.5 decreased by 35.6%, and in 2024, the vast majority of monitoring stations recorded no exceedances of permissible limits. Last year in Krakow, for the first time in the history of measurements, the target level for benzo(a)pyrene was not exceeded.

The analysis also confirms the dynamic growth of renewable energy sources (RES). The share of RES in heat production in Malopolska increased to 39.1% in 2023, representing a growth of over 170%. At the same time, average heat prices in the region grew more slowly than the national average.

Improved air quality brought tangible health benefits. These include an 11.9% decrease in hospitalizations, an 11.2% reduction in patients treated for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and an increase in life expectancy – by 1.2 years for men and 0.9 years for women compared to 2015. Deaths attributable to air pollution decreased by 8.5%.

Better air quality also positively impacted the region’s attractiveness – compared to 2015, the number of tourists using overnight accommodations increased by 48.2%, and the number of overnight stays rose by 39.3%.

The prepared analysis serves as a summary of the effects of the LIFE IP Malopolska project and as a reference point for further actions, particularly in the context of new, more stringent air quality standards under the EU AAQD Directive.