Adapting to the effects of climate change is one of the biggest challenges cities worldwide face. Unlike most publications that focus on large municipalities, this paper examines 103 Polish small and medium-sized cities (< 100,000 inhabitants) to determine whether their authorities perceive a need to implement climate change adaptation measures, the barriers to such measures, and the factors affecting their implementation. A triangulation method was used to conduct 103 surveys with representatives of Environmental Protection Departments and to conduct interviews with representatives of 10 selected locations. Their results reveal that city size does not directly affect adaptation to climate change, and that adaptation is not a priority for the authorities. Insufficient support from the central government to local governments is the strongest barrier to implementing adaptation measures. By focusing on small and medium-sized cities in Central and Eastern Europe, the study provides new empirical insights into how institutional context and social factors shape local climate change adaptation under limited resource constraints.

Climate change will have a significant impact on forests as most of the factors determining their condition are modified by the effects of the climate change process. Some of these effects are a change in the distribution and amount of precipitation, an increase in the frequency of extreme meteorological phenomena, including hurricane winds, temperature distribution, or a change in the length of the growing season. In order to maintain the productivity of Polish forests and the range of ecosystem services they provide, the forestry sector will have to adapt to these changes. However, forestry will also have to take a part in holding back climate change. Achieving climate neutrality by mid-21st century and ensuring a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 will not be possible without using the ability of forests to absorb and permanently store carbon. Polish forestry seems to be insufficiently prepared for the challenges ahead. A new national forestry policy has not been developed in the past twenty years, which results, inter alia, in a lack of any clear indication of the role of Polish forests in climate protection. Adaptation to the effects of climate change is hampered by the lack of up-to-date, detailed scenarios of how this process will affect the climate factors in Poland. Particularly dangerous, in light of the role of forests in climate protection, is a significant decrease in the afforested area, which in turn leads to a reduction in the amount of carbon absorbed by them. Another obstacle to implementation of effective measures may be the growing disparity between the current forestry practice and social expectations, as well as a low degree of willingness from the State Forests to cooperate with stakeholders who present different opinions on how to conduct forest management. This obstacle may lead to disputes about the management of Polish forests at the European Union level and rulings of the Court of Justice of the European Union. The conducted analyses showed that cooperation with a wide range of stakeholders will be the basic condition for the inclusion of Polish forests in the implementation of climate policy objectives on a greater scale. It should help define the role of this sector in this process, implement the necessary adaptative and climate protection measures, and support activities aimed at acquiring new land for afforestation.

Artykuł prezentuje wyniki badań dotyczące społecznej percepcji transformacji energetycznej i zmian klimatycznych z perspektywy obszarów wiejskich w Polsce. Analizie został poddany stosunek mieszkańców wsi do sposobu przeprowadzania w Polsce transformacji energetycznej, która jest wynikiem przyjętej przez rząd Polski polityki klimatycznej. W tym celu skorzystano z danych uzyskanych na podstawie badań realizowanych przez Centrum Badań Opinii Społecznej (CBOS) oraz – dla pogłębionego oglądu analizowanej problematyki – przedstawiono wyniki z badań sondażowych oraz z wywiadów indywidualnych jednej z kategorii rolników – sadowników z rejonu sandomierskiego, które realizowane były przez autorów artykułu. Analiza wskazuje na zakres poparcia wprowadzanych zmian, pozwala również na diagnozę barier, zagrożeń i szans wynikających z realizowanej transformacji. The article presents the findings of research on the social perception of energy transformation and climate change within rural areas of Poland. It focuses specifically on the attitudes of rural residents toward the implementation of energy transformation, which is influenced by the climate policy established by the Polish government. Data for the study was sourced from the Public Opinion Research Center (CBOS). To gain a deeper insight into the issue, the authors also included results from surveys and individual interviews with a specific group of farmers – orchard growers from the Sandomierz region. The analysis highlights the level of support for the proposed changes and identifies the barriers, threats, and opportunities that arise from the ongoing transformation.