2025-10-04 12:00
publication
2025-10-04 12:00
Half a year from the restart of the “Clean Air” program, interest persists at the lowest level in history. – If the current pace does not change, then the goal set by the government, i.e. the liquidation of 2.5 million cinders will take us 35 years – alerts the Smoglab Foundation in the analysis of the latest data from NFOŚiGW.
– From September 2018 to September 2025, over a million applications for a total amount of PLN 40 billion were submitted to the “Clean Air” program. The program has been one of the most popular forms of state household support in recent years.
– Acceleration of the exchange of Cinderella and increasing the thermomodernization rate has been included in the coalition agreement of the Donald Tusk government. The prime minister himself announced records in these areas in December 2023.
– Meanwhile, after the reform carried out at the turn of 2024 and 2025, you can see a drastic decrease in interest in the program. Half a year from the moment of restarting the subsidy, citizens submitted only 33.8 thousand. applications (until September 26, 2025). That's as much as in previous years in less than two months.
– In the period from April to September the previous year (2024), all applications were submitted almost 157,000. This means that interest in the program has dropped by about 80 percent. year on year.
– Analyzing the last half of the year, the average monthly number of applications at the level of approx. 5.7 thousand can be adopted. which gives at the current pace of about 70 thousand applications per year. This means that if the interest in the program does not increase, its goal, i.e. the exchange of 2.5 million cinderella, will take 35 years.
– For comparison, in 2022, the annual number of applications amounted to 157,000, in 2023 it was already 217,000, in 2024 – 271 thousand.
“This is surrender in battle not only for the life and health of Poles, but also for their level of living conditions. The current pace means that we will enjoy healthy air in Poland only in 2060, although the assumption of the program was the liquidation of Cinderella in 10 years from its beginning, i.e. until 2029,” – comments Maciej Fijak from the Smoglab Foundation, co -author of analysis.
A representative of the Foundation reminds that already in 2030 Poland is obliged to meet new air quality standards. If this happens, as the calculations of the European Clean Air Center show, mortality from smog will fall significantly, and 20 thousand. people will be able to enjoy a longer life a year. Currently, in Poland, about 40,000 die prematurely due to polluted air each year. people.
“If high interest in the liquidation of the least effective boilers from previous years, then in a few years 30 million Polish women and Poles could breathe air that meets new standards. Today, only about 2 million citizens enjoys such air,” adds Maciej Fijak, noting that the current pace of boiler exchange crosses this goal.
“In our analysis, we positively assess some aspects of government activities, such as last year's introduction of new standards for coal, introduction of municipal operators in the program >> Clean air
The Foundation also sees an attempt to leave the crisis in the “Clean Air” program, which is the establishment of the Coordination Committee for the Program. In mid -August, the ordinance was signed by the prime minister, but the effects are not yet visible.
“The control of municipalities in compliance with air protection programs is still limping – in 2024 only 6 percent of Polish municipalities were checked. On >> Plus
The organization recommends the rulers Conducting a detailed analysis of the reasons why interest in the program is record low, the liquidation of barriers for those willing to use the program and actions aimed at rebuilding the trust of citizens in this form of support. It is also necessary to unblock overdue payments in the program, which at the beginning of September 2025 amounted to PLN 1 billion.
Source of information: Smoglab Foundation
