Poland and Germany intend to strengthen their cooperation in climate and energy policy. At the German-Polish environment council in Wasowo, Federal Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel and his Polish counterpart, Maciej Nowicki, agreed to take urgent action to achieve Europe's ambitious climate protection targets. The challenge is particularly huge for Poland as the country relies on coal to produce 90 percent of its electricity and 80 percent of its heat.
The two countries intend to closely coordinate their contributions to the EU climate and energy package. Germany will also share its experience in the use of renewables and in energy conservation. Poland is currently preparing for the Climate Change Conference in Poznañ, which will be an important intermediate step towards climate negotiations in Copenhagen.
The two ministers welcomed the close cooperation existing between German Länder and the neighbouring województwa provinces, e.g. in the areas of waste management, environmental education and transboundary environmental impact assessments.
There will also be closer cooperation in nature conservation. Poland is interested in Germany's experience in establishing the European Natura 2000 network. The two countries intend to strengthen the protection of Western Poland's and Germany's wolf populations by establishing a transboundary management scheme.
Both parties agreed in Wasowo to draw up a treaty on the expansion of the Hohensaaten-Friedrichsthal waterway and on eliminating bottlenecks in the river Oder along the border.