The Ministry of Climate and Environment referred to increasing concerns that fresh regulations on energy wood could in practice mean no wood burning in fireplaces. As highlighted in the authoritative Communication, the fresh rules do not cover the burning of wood in home fireplaces or another sources of individual heating.
What is the fresh regulation about?
At the heart of the public discussion was the regulation on specific characteristics of quality-sized energy woodwhich, as announced, is to enter into force at the turn of August and September 2025.
According to the Ministry, the intent of this act is elimination of wood burning in occupational energyin large industrial plants and power plants. So it is not about banning the usage of wood in private homes or restrictions on the usage of fireplaces.
What does the climate department say?
The ministry’s communication explicitly stated:
‘Regulation does not prohibit the burning of wood in individual households or fireplaces.’
This is an crucial position to reassure owners of wood-heated houses or utilizing fireplaces as an additional heat source. The rules do not interfere in the sale or usage of firewood for individual purposes.
Energy wood and firewood – an crucial difference
According to the Ministry, the fresh regulations only cover energy wood utilized in industrial energy, not firewood that goes to households. This means that typical wood utilized for smoking in fireplaces, furnaces or home boilers is not subject to fresh standards.
In practice, it is about setting a clear line between:
- energy woodwhich, in accordance with the Regulation, should not enter the power plant,
- a firewoodwhich is utilized by individual users.
How much wood can a fresh law cover?
According to preliminary estimates, fresh regulations may include from tens of thousands to up to 1.5 million cubic meters of woodwhich has so far gone to power plants and heating plants. This is simply a crucial quantity with a crucial impact on the wood natural material marketplace and the conservation of forest resources.
Deputy Minister Mikołaj Doroża, presenting a draft amendment, stressed that it was about rational management of natural materials and reducing usage full-value wood for energy purposes. This kind of wood can find a better, more economically sustainable usage – e.g. in construction or furniture industry.
Background: Changes in natural material and energy policy
The fresh government is part of a broader strategy of the Ministry of Climate and Environment, which aims at increasing the efficiency of the usage of natural resources and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In this context, the simplification of wood burning in power plants falls within the EU's climate policy and biodiversity protection.
At the same time, authorities are trying avoid interference in the regular lives of citizens, especially in the context of individual heating sources, which in many regions of Poland are inactive based on solid fuels, including wood.
What's next?
The introduction of a fresh regulation may translate into greater availability of firewood for individual users, as it will reduce its competitive consumption by the energy industry. This can besides stabilise the prices of natural material in the retail market.
At the same time, it is worth monitoring whether local initiatives to limit the anticipation of burning wood – e.g. at the level of local governments – will happen in connection with air quality standards. Although current national government does not supply for this, in large cities (e.g. Warsaw) actions are already underway towards Prohibition of coal smoking, which can make precedents besides for wood.
The Ministry of Climate and Environment clearly denies that fresh government should introduce a ban on wood burning in fireplaces. Regulations concern only the professional energy sector and aim at more rational wood management as a natural material. Homeowners can so proceed to usage firewood without fear of legislative changes in this area.
Continued here:
Is there a ban on smoking wood in the fireplace? Climate hotel published a declaration
