One of the biggest Polish energy companies and a leading think-tank have signed an agreement. The cooperation aims to support Tauron’s representatives and social partners in actively planning and managing a just transition in southern Poland. Instrat expands its activities based on positive experiences in Eastern Greater Poland – working with the trade unions of ZE PAK and conducting dialogue with the European Commission.
We see the energy transition as the biggest challenge facing the Polish economy and society in the near future. As one of Poland’s largest energy companies, a responsible employer for over 19,000 people, and a partner for local communities, we are committed to a just transition. We are actively cooperating with social partners and local authorities to create new jobs, obtain financing, and diversify the economy – says Grzegorz Lot, President of the Management Board of TAURON Polska Energia.
Instrat will support dialogue with social partners, including trade unions and local government. The think-tank’s role will be to explain problems and help find solutions by preparing reliable fact- and data-based analyses. As an independent partner, Instrat will provide opinions, concepts and recommendations to the company’s representatives to improve the planning process and manage a just transition.
The signed agreement is an opportunity for us to provide additional support and professional assistance in the energy transition process. Instrat, with its experience and expertise in leveraging the regions‘ potential, will assist us in finding solutions that will be positively received by all parties involved – says Paweł Micuła, President of the Management Board of TAURON Wytwarzanie.
Michał Hetmański, President of the Instrat Foundation, comments on the cooperation with TAURON: – We are delighted that one of the largest employers in the Polish energy sector is taking up the challenge of planning and carrying out a just transition. We are ready to share our experience of this process, which in the region of Eastern Greater Poland and Konin started almost 5 years ago. We count on the energy transformation to bring social and environmental benefits through harmonious cooperation between social partners, local governments and TAURON. Declining use of fossil fuels in the energy sector is unnecessarily presented as a threat, while an adequately implemented transformation is a massive opportunity for the local community and the region.
