The article aims to identify barriers related to developing agricultural biogas plants in Poland. The secondary data was supplemented by primary data from a questionnaire conducted among employees of an enterprise whose biogas production is one of the elements of the circular economy. The results of the research revealed that the majority of respondents indicated external, systemic and developmental obstacles. The largest percentage of responses concerned the lack of stable legal regulations in the scope of renewable energy sources, including biogas plants, and the lack of programs financing the construction of agricultural biogas plants. Moreover, the respondents pointed to the proposals that could improve the development of agricultural biogas plants in the future. The respondents considered updating and ensuring the profitability of investments in the situation of significantly higher expenditures, growing costs of business and debt servicing through the reference price as a significant motivator, as well as inclusion in the support system of tariffs guaranteeing a stable income for at least 15 years. Barriers to developing agricultural biogas plants in Poland remain unchanged, and the awareness of the positive impact of agricultural biogas plants on many levels is still very low.

Energy and climate policies benefit from modernized construction technology and energy supply source choices. Energy-efficiency improvement and CO₂ emission reduction will result from renewable energy (RE) utilization in new and retrofit single-family houses in rural Poland. Several house construction scenarios and heating energy sources comparing building costs and potential emission reduction are based on already existing structures calculated for a 100 m² dwelling corresponding to the average rural home. With the addition of thermal insulation and RE-generating equipment, construction costs increase, but the energy costs of operating the home dramatically shrink between a conventional and energy-neutral house. The latter scenario includes thermal solar panels and a heat pump as heating energy sources as well as electricity-generating PV panels. Replacing coal with environmentally-friendly RE reduces CO₂ emissions by about 90% annually. Additionally, lower dependence on coal lessens other GHG emissions leading to immediate air quality improvement. New house building regulations guide homeowner construction and heating energy choice, but even larger gains could result from retrofitting existing rural houses, expanding environmental benefits and generating energy bill savings to households. However, the varying climate throughout Poland will require the purchase of energy in winter to assure residents’ comfort.

Heat pump technology offers a path towards reducing the use of fossil fuels to heat space, providing energy bill savings and reducing air pollution and GHG emissions. The choice of heating method is based on costs; hence, this study examines the gains from operating heat pump systems in public buildings as well as alternative systems using electricity, LPG, and heating oil. The study focuses on the Ruda-Huta municipality in Poland that, as is common in rural areas, lacks access to a district heating system or piped gas. The empirical analysis includes heat pump installations in eight municipal buildings. The study found that the use of ground source heat pumps proved competitive with existing heating systems in terms of payback time. Calculations for three heating energy source scenarios, i.e., electricity, LPG, and heating oil, used the Simple Pay Back Time (SPBT) and the Levelized Cost of Heat (LCOH) methods and the average prices of the three energy types for the period 2012–2021. The payback period calculations disregarded the EU subsidies for heating systems utilizing renewable energy sources (RES). The payback time for electric, LPG, and heating oil were, respectively, 6.7–7.8 years, 4.1–6.1 years, and 6.7–6.9 years. Much larger spreads favoring heat pumps were calculated using the LCOH, and the costs in the case of electric heating were nearly three times higher and doubled when using heating oil and LPG. The gains from investing in heat pump systems have been offset by the increase in electricity, LPH, and heating oil prices, which have been predicted to continue to increase in the foreseeable future supporting the use of heat pumps in rural areas lacking access to, for example, district heating systems. The switch to heat pumps reduced local air pollution by eliminating the burning of fossil fuels to heat space in public buildings.

Sustainable milk processing is essential to minimize negative environmental impacts. The purpose of this study was to determine the carbon footprint (CF) of the production of milk products in an industrial plant in Poland. Annual production and technological processes were analyzed, and relevant parameters were determined, as well as the method of data collection according to the chosen method of analysis and the developed database. It was found that each process is a source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and affects the CF of the product. The total carbon footprint of the production of milk products was 0.367 kgCO_2eq/kg. The average GHG emissions associated with production came mainly from indirect emissions (electricity consumption) and accounted for 50% of the total emissions. The determined relationship between the CF and monthly production volume also allows production planning in the context of sustainability. An increase in the monthly production volume by about 12% results in a reduction in the carbon footprint by about 18%. Decarbonization of dairies is possible through the use of renewable energy sources. Determining the CF of milk processing is the first step toward reducing GHG emissions, improving the sustainability of the sector and aligning with global trends and regulations.

Forests are important in mitigating climate change and addressing biodiversity loss. In Poland, where forest cover has steadily increased since World War II, afforestation of agricultural land has emerged as a key strategy supported by both EU and national policies. This study evaluates the implementation of Poland’s afforestation programs under the Rural Development Programme (RDP) for the periods of 2007–2013 and 2014–2020 using data provided by the Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture (ARMA) and focusing on the financial incentives offered to private landowners and regional variations in their uptake. Results show that afforestation under the RDP aligned with the EU climate neutrality goals, with a total of 37,721 hectares afforested and PLN 243.5 million handed as financial support, predominantly (81%) over the first studied period. The largest afforestation efforts were observed in the Mazowieckie and Warmińsko-Mazurskie voivodeships, with Warszawa, Poland’s capital, achieving the highest municipal afforestation area across both periods. Financial considerations influenced farmer participation, but rising land prices and historical land use patterns were contributing factors. Urban afforestation and increasing demand for woody biomass further highlight the benefits of afforestation. However, conifer-dominated stands, prevalent on low-quality land, can present challenges to ecosystem stability under future climate scenarios, necessitating diversification towards deciduous species. Additionally, low uptake during the 2014–2020 period showcases the need for improved incentives to bolster participation. Still, afforestation presents significant economic and environmental opportunities, advancing long-term policy objectives while addressing critical challenges in climate.

The article addresses the progressive changes in the climate caused by increasing concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. In light of the applicable regulations, Poland should reduce the emissions with significant potential of creating the greenhouse effect. One way to achieve this is to increase the use of renewable energy sources, where biogas energy production is one of the most effective methods. Using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method, the greenhouse gas emissions, expressed as CO₂ equivalent generated during the entire logistic process of its production, were calculated.