In a new Carbon Removal Readiness Assessment (CRRA), Carbon Gap and Sweco signal that Poland holds significant potential for carbon dioxide removal (CDR) deployment but is currently being held back by limited national strategy development, targets, and investment risks.
According to the assessment, in a high-ambition scenario, the country could remove up to ~45 MtCO2 per year through different CDR methods. When factoring in Poland’s natural sink, the CDR potential could reach up to ~85 MtCO₂/year by 2050, way above the projected residual emissions of 30–50 MtCO₂/year.
Compared to other countries, the CDR scenarios for Poland until 2050 rely more heavily (>80%) on natural ecosystems. The most immediately deployable pathways in this country, the report notes, are approaches such as afforestation, peatland restoration, cropland and pasture management, BECCS, and biochar.
The publication explains that this potential is because forests, and peatlands in particular, are a strong climate asset in Poland and also because of delays cumulated in shaping a climate policy in this country, resulting in a high grid carbon intensity and stalled geological storage development.
Poland has not yet incorporated the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality target into its national legislation, and currently, the country has no dedicated CDR targets, climate laws, or a strategy.
In a low-ambitions scenario, the country could remove only ~16 MtCO2 of per year by 2050, falling short of residual emissions without reliance on natural sinks.
Without a proactive evolution in climate policy, Poland risks falling behind EU climate objectives and leaving its CDR resources largely untapped, the publication states.
As with all other European countries analysed for CDR so far, Poland too faces the issue of access to geological CO2 storage, which could particularly impact BECCS solutions.
The country holds a great domestic storage capacity, which is largely underdeveloped and currently prioritising CCS over CDR. Unlocking this storage potential would not only enable Poland to meet its own climate targets, but it could also position the country as a carbon management hub, including for neighbouring countries.
In terms of public CDR awareness, the publication observes that it remains low, but support can be built. The complete report can be found here.
Read more: Italy Can Reach Net-Zero By 2050 If It Scales Its CDR Sector, Says New Carbon Gap & B3 Carbon Report
