Transport is one of the key sectors of the European economy. However, the intensive development of transport caused negative effects in the form of an increase in the emission of harmful substances. The particularly dramatic situation took place in the V4 countries. This made it necessary to implement solutions reducing emissions in transport, including passenger transport. Such activities can be implemented in the field of implementation of low-emission and zero-emission vehicles for use. That is why the European Union and the governments of the Visegrad Group countries have developed numerous recommendations, communications, laws, and strategies that order carriers to implement low- and zero-emission mobility. Therefore, transport organizers and communication operators faced the choice of the type of buses. From an economic point of view, each entrepreneur is guided by the economic efficiency of the vehicles used. Hence, the main aim of the article was to conduct an economic evaluation of the operational efficiency of ecological vehicles. As more than 70% of vehicles in use in the European Union are still diesel driven, the economic efficiency assessment was also made for vehicles with traditional diesel drive. To conduct the research, the method of calculating the total cost of ownership of vehicles in operation was used. As a result of the research, it was found that electric buses are the cheapest in the entire period of use (15 years), and then those powered by CNG. On the other hand, the cost of using hydrogen buses is the highest. This is due to the high purchase prices of these vehicles. However, the EU, as well as the governments of individual countries, support enterprises and communication operators, by offering them financing for investments. The impact of the forecasted fuel and energy prices and the planned inflation on operating costs was also examined. In this case, the analyses showed that the forecasted changes in fuel and energy prices, as well as the expected inflation, will significantly affect the costs of vehicle operation and the economic efficiency of using various types of drives. These changes will have a positive impact on the implementation of zero-emission vehicles into exploitation. Based on the analyses, it was found that in 2035 hydrogen buses will have the lowest operating costs.

The aim of this study was to identify changes in the Polish heating sector and assess modernization investments in the field of energy transformation. This research covered 30 municipalities in Poland that applied for the II National Competition for Local Government Units for the Most Energy Innovative Local Government. In terms of changes, the analysis covered the years 2002–2021 and in the investment assessment, data from 2021 were used, as well as plans and strategies of enterprises and local governments. To assess planned investments in district heating companies, an original method of assessing social needs and the ability and readiness of enterprises to modernize the infrastructure in the field of heating was developed. It considers the emissivity factor of a heating plant and the assessment of investments by experts according to nine criteria. The method was used to assess changes in the district heating system in 30 municipalities in Poland. The shaping of the energy strategy in Poland is influenced by the climate and energy policy of the European Union (EU), which assumes that by 2040, households and industries will be heated with system heat or low-emission energy sources. Poland is the second-largest district heating market in the European Union, but heat production in the country is dependent on coal, which is why this sector requires transformation in the coming years. Research shows that thermal energy companies modernizing their installations more often use low-emission technologies than zero-emission ones. The main objectives of investments in energy production are the decarbonization of the heating system and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, as well as social needs in the field of connecting houses and flats to the system networks.

The main aim of the research is to evaluate the innovativeness of Polish municipalities in the field of energy. The study was carried out as a part of the First National Competition for the Most Innovative Local Government in Poland, taking into account the original method of assessing the innovativeness of local governments. From all over Poland, 30 communes participated in the research: 14 urban communes, 8 rural communes, and 8 urban–rural communes. The study analyzes the activities of municipalities in the field of energy-related construction and transport innovations and inventories innovative social campaigns in the area of climate and energy policy implementation. The second part of the article presents a case study of innovations recognized as exemplary. As a result of the conducted research, it was found that 50% of the surveyed local governments are innovative and the remaining are moderately innovative. No commune has been assigned to the non-innovative category. In terms of the type and size of the local government, it has been observed that smaller municipalities, mainly rural local governments, allocate much higher financial resources per capita to the implementation of modern solutions in the field of climate and energy policy implementation. In some cases, commune heads spend several times higher funds per capita than mayors and city presidents. The use of the developed innovation research method in practice may motivate local government authorities to increase innovative activities for energy transformation.

Innowacje są głównym czynnikiem rozwoju gospodarczego. Pozycja innowacyjna gospodarki wyznacza perspektywy jej dalszego rozwoju. Jednym z celów Strategii Lizbońskiej jest stworzenie z Unii Europejskiej gospodarki opartej na wiedzy, konkurencyjnej i dynamicznej, zdolnej do trwałego rozwoju i oferującej większą liczbę miejsc pracy. Europejski Ranking Innowacyjności ma na celu monitorowanie realizacji zamierzonego celu poprzez weryfikację poziomu innowacyjności państw członkowskich Unii Europejskiej. Ocena stanu gospodarki odbywa się na podstawie grupy wskaźników, umożliwiających porównywanie wyników pomiędzy poszczególnymi państwami oraz na przestrzeni lat. Artykuł przedstawia wyniki innowacyjności polskiej gospodarki opublikowane przez Komisję Europejską za lata 2011 i 2018 na tle krajów Unii Europejskiej. Na podstawie danych autorzy próbują ocenić aktualny stan oraz wskazać kierunki dalszych zmian.

This article analyses the adaptation strategies adopted by local government units (LGUs) in Poland in response to the energy crisis of 2022–2023. This crisis, caused by geopolitical tensions, rising commodity prices and instability of supply, posed a serious challenge to local authorities. The study used the case study method, and the analysis of data obtained as part of a nationwide survey conducted among 167 local government units, differentiated in terms of the type of commune and the number of inhabitants. The results indicate that the most commonly used measures were investments in renewable energy sources and the modernisation of energy infrastructure. At the same time, nearly half of the surveyed local government units did not have contingency plans in the event of interruptions in energy supply, which reveals significant gaps in crisis management. The article identifies the key factors affecting the effectiveness of the implemented measures and presents recommendations for strengthening the energy resilience of local government units. The study is distinguished by an innovative approach, and the study is one of the first empirical approaches in Poland that combines quantitative data analysis with the case study approach and contributes to the development of local energy policy in conditions of external instability.

Artykuł ma charakter przeglądowy i dotyczy analizy działań władz miejskich w Polsce i Europie w obliczu kryzysu energetycznego dla sprawnego funkcjonowania komunikacji miejskiej oraz zachowania płynności finansowej samorządów. W pierwszej części przedstawiono przyczyny kryzysu energetycznego w Polsce i Europie. W kolejnym etapie zaprezentowano kilka przykładów działań europejskich samorządów w kontekście pojawienia się kryzysu. W trzeciej części autor dokonał analizy sytuacji polskich samorządów w okresie kryzysu energetycznego w obszarze funkcjonowania komunikacji miejskiej. Stwierdzono, że kryzys energetyczny istotnie wpływa na sytuację ekonomiczną miejskiego transportu publicznego w Polsce i Europie na wiele sposobów. Największym obciążeniem budżetów samorządów i przewoźników był znaczny wzrost cen paliw i energii elektrycznej. To skłoniło większość władz do podniesienia cen biletów, a także do zmniejszenia częstotliwości kursowania komunikacji.