Andrzej Duda, President of the Republic of Poland, praised the efforts of the UAE in hosting the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28).

Speaking to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of the now-running global event, he said, “I congratulate the UAE for organising this highly significant event. The conference has been organised in a highly professional manner, with excellent logistics, and accompanying activities. This is evident from the wide attendance of heads of state and government from around the world.”

He explained that COP28 is a critical event that addresses one of the most pressing challenges facing humanity today. “The conference provides an opportunity for countries to come together and discuss ways to mitigate and adapt to climate change,” the Polish president added.

President Duda expressed his hope that the UAE-Polish relations will continue to grow and develop in the future. He noted that the two countries have a shared interest in addressing climate change, as well as other important issues such as economic cooperation and trade.

In response to a question about ways to address climate change, he said, “We must not stop our activities aimed at protecting the climate, and we must modernise our energy industries. This is certainly the most important task facing us now.”

“While Poland enjoys a temperate climate, it's not blessed with constant sunshine or wind. Rain and breezes come and go, making wind and solar power inconsistent sources. We need to find stable alternatives.”

He continued: “We are a large European country with a population of 38 million. This means that our energy needs are enormous. We also have energy-intensive industries in our country, and we need to make sure that these energy needs are met for everyone. So, if we want to protect the climate, we need to use nuclear energy in Poland. This is also one of the topics we discussed during COP28.”

President Duda considered that the development of renewable energy sources is very important for Poland, saying they must form an increasingly growing proportion of their energy mix. He added, “We must rely on nuclear energy sources in our energy production, and we have already started building a nuclear power plant.”