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Poland's Clean Air Program Faces Momentum Loss Amid Reforms and Geopolitical Tensions
Poland's Clean Air program, launched in 2018 to reduce air pollution from coal-based heating, has supported one million households but is experiencing a decline in applications following 2024 reforms. Environmental groups report a fivefold drop in requests in 2025 compared to the program's peak, raising concerns about stalled progress on air quality and energy security.
Apr 8, 2:07 PM·2m read1 source
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Poland ranks among Europe's most polluted countries, with coal-based home heating identified as the primary source of air pollution. In 2018, the government introduced the Clean Air program to address this issue by providing grants to households and businesses for replacing coal-fired boilers, improving thermal insulation, and reducing domestic energy consumption.
The initiative promotes alternatives such as gas, wood pellets, or electricity-based systems.
Since its launch, approximately one million households in Poland—a nation of nearly 38 million people—have participated in the program, according to Krzysztof Bolesta, Secretary of State at the Polish Ministry of Climate and Environment. 5 million coal-based heaters remain to be modernized. The program has contributed to improvements in air quality in affected areas.
In Krakow, the number of heavy smog days decreased from 150 per year to 30, as reported by Andrzej Guła of the NGO Polish Smog Alert.
“It’s still 30 days too much, but there is progress.”
The program reached its peak in 2024, with more than 250,000 financing requests filed. However, applications have since declined sharply. At the end of 2024, the government paused approvals as part of a reform to prevent misuse of funds and ensure financing for eligible projects.
Environmentalists from Polish Smog Alert, during a March 31 press conference in Warsaw, presented data showing applications in 2025 were five times lower than at the program's peak. This downturn has continued into 2026. The group expressed concerns that progress on reducing air pollution and household energy use has stalled.
