ICLEI Member Warsaw (Poland) is preparing for a year of continued, targeted efforts to tackle pollution levels. For that purpose, the city has committed itself to a two-fold strategy of continuing the expansion and the refurbishments of the largest district heating network in the EU, currently over 1700 km of networks covering around 80% of the city’s heat demand, while also actively involving citizens in fighting low-stack emissions.

Following on from its successful #BreathWarsaw campaign from 2016, Warsaw is planning to send eco-educators to more than five thousand homes faced with the highest pollution levels.

The aim of the campaign is “not only to reach [out] to residents with information about municipal subsidies or ways to reduce air pollution, but also [to] help us to update our data on low-stack emissions” says Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, Mayor of Warsaw.

In order to enable citizens to become active part of the energy transition, the Environmental Protection Department of Warsaw City Council is providing different needs-based subsidies schemes.

Citizens can apply for up to 75% coverage of their investment in modern boilers, the replacement of old coal furnace or connecting to the district heating network, as well as up to 40% for purchasing and installing renewable energy sources (solar, heat pumps and photovoltaic).

In cooperation with social welfare centres Warsaw is covering up to 100% of the costs of exchanging coal furnaces in low income households.

Having expanded its heating network by 24 kilometres already in 2017, Warsaw will see the modernisation of another 19.7 km of those networks operated by Veolia Energia Warszawa and aims to add another 222 social buildings to its district heating networks by 2020.

For more information about Warsaw district heating plans and work to date, visit the THERMOS website.