One in four Poles say global warming a myth

The survey by the Polish edition of Newsweek found that 24 percent of respondents rejected the existence of global warming.

“As you can see, Polish society has not yet learnt the lesson in this regard,” commented Greenpeace spokesperson Katarzyna Guzek.

“The Newsweek survey could serve as an impetus to launch a broad educational campaign, in which Poles could become acquainted with climate change issues in an accessible and reliable way,” she added.

Some 16 percent of those surveyed said they were unsure if global warming is taking place, while the majority (60 percent) said they believed that the problem is real.

The survey involved 800 Poles aged between 16 and 64.

COP 21

The COP 21 conference lasts until 11 December, with world leaders attempting to hammer out an agreement on reductions of greenhouse gas emissions.

Although Poland's coal industry is struggling at present, partly owing to cheap coal prices elsewhere, 90 percent of the country's power is generated by coal.

Poland's prime minister Beata Szydło said in her Paris address a week ago that the condition for Poland's signing of an accord on greenhouse gas emission reductions is that no exceptions are made.

“All countries should make efforts to prevent climate change,” Szydło affirmed.

Poland's stance is in reaction to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, in which only the world's largest economies had to sign up for cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

Countries then classified as developing economies, including China and India – currently the world's largest polluters – were exempt, while the US never ratified the legislation in the Senate.

Szydło's stance echoes that of President Andrzej Duda, who argued that if the EU forges ahead with marked reductions, it could suffer economically in comparison with states that are not bound by them. (nh/di)