Polish Smog Alert is a grassroots initiative of citizens worried about the poor quality of air in Poland. Established in January 2015, PSA now comprises around 50 local clean air grassroots organisations and is supported by the academic and medical communities. We seek wide and inclusive dialogue aimed at solving the problem of poor air quality in Poland.
Our practical experience, thorough knowledge of legal and medical issues, as well as our independent air quality data have made us a key stakeholder in discussions on shaping Polish anti-smog legislation at both local and national level. Efforts taken by PSA have led to the introduction of new and unprecedented regulations in Poland, such as anti-smog resolutions covering nearly 90% of the country and provisions on low emission zones, which pave the way for the elimination of the most polluting cars from urban traffic. Important financial instruments have been established, including a 25-billion-EUR programme of subsidies and soft loans to support coal boiler replacement and thermal retrofits. Thanks to the reforms and programmes initiated by PSA air quality in Poland is slowly improving. The number of zones with excessive particulate matter concentration has fallen from 38 (out of 46) in 2012 to 14 in 2022. Better air quality translates into public health – the number of premature deaths has decreased by 20%, with 10,000 fewer deaths annually.
Our PSA activists, devoting their time and energy to fighting the battle against smog, are our greatest asset.
In 2023 PSA was recognised internationally by being nominated for Prince William’s Earthshot prize, awarded to the best world-wide initiatives growing solutions to repair the planet. We were the only nominees from Central and Eastern Europe, and have now joined a global cohort of campaigns, companies and innovators working together on scaleable solutions. It was an honour to travel to participate in the Earthshot Awards, and receive the encouragement of Prince William and senior figures from business, politics and civil society. This was recognition of the hard work and impact of our team, our partners and our grassroots supporters. It was good to show how far we have come in Poland, but we still have a lot to do. We hope that the Earthshot Prize can now help us share our successes and our approaches more widely, to improve air quality across Europe and the world.
Polish Smog Alert
