What are the first associations that come to your mind when you think about Śląsk? If you were about to say “coal”, “non-renewable resources” or “air pollution”, erase them from your dictionary now and replace them with a new expression — e-mobility!
On September 12th, Janusz Michałek from Katowice Special Economic Zone — or KSSE for short — participated in a moderated discussion entitled “How EVs are redefining the economy and help to save the environment?”, along with Artur Michalski from NFOŚiGW and Andrzej Ziółkowski from UDT, moderated by Łukasz Mężyk from 300Polityka.
Most of the discussion revolved around the subject of e-mobility as a better and cleaner form of transport. According to data, about 46% of air pollution is caused by transportation — that’s why it’s so important to stop using diesel-powered vehicles, rely more on public transport, and switch to so-called “green energy”.
KSSE was granted 10 billion PLN to invest in e-mobility solutions — most of the sum coming from Polish investors, not the EU funds, which proves that Poles are becoming more aware of the dangers of air pollution and are eager to help to save the environment.
There are still some obstacles that all users of e-mobility must overcome. The most problematic areas are the stability of the power network and the demand for more and more powerful charging stations that are indispensable for average users.
Despite government’s omissions that built up in the last few years, the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management has managed to reduce some of the air pollution index rates — mainly nitrogen, sulphur, and dust — by as much as 60-80%. They were all coming from highly-concentrated sources, such as factories and power plants. The future looks more optimistic — regulating heating and energy production will become easier and easier, as the norms for air pollution become stricter every year, and fines for overuses rise.
Still, switching from non-renewable resources to green energy is a long process rather than a single step. We cannot completely give up coal-based energy production just yet, as the electric energy network is not yet stable and effective enough to power all the devices we need. However, mining and metallurgical industry are being slowly replaced by the newest technologies. One of KSSE’s goals in that matter is to keep the employment rates at a steady level. The increase in the GDP is a definite proof of their success is that area.
Apart from the events on the main stage, KSSE also participated in Impact Link and Biznes Booster. Both events were aimed at meeting emerging start-ups and networking. After all, e-mobility and green energy is not just the matter of big businesses; the group that benefits the most from e-mobility is not any corporation or government, but the citizens that want to breathe clean and non-polluted air.
