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A company from Poland might just know how to improve air quality in cities. Green stops are to clean the air we breathe in while waiting for a tram or bus to arrive. The first stops are to be constructed within three months after an investor is found. Each year, air pollution brings death to several million people.

High energy costs, heating and air conditioning charges are tangible problems for both enterprises and local governments. They often lack funds for investments to increase the energy efficiency of the buildings they use. An alternative solution is investments based on the ESCO formula, where the whole cost and risk are incurred by the company implementing the project. In Poland the value of the market is estimated at EUR 27 m and is constantly growing, as increasingly more emphasis is placed on the significance of energy efficiency for the development of the economy and the competitiveness of enterprises.

Globally, there are nearly 5 billion tonnes of plastic waste left unused. A partial solution to the problem could come in the form of a plastic-to-fuel technology. Plastic waste can become a source of fuel as effective as petrol and diesel fuel. A unique technology for its conversion has been developed by a Polish company. As required by a draft EU Directive, large-scale recipients will now have to use biofuels as well, which includes fuels made from plastic.

Both the European Union and national governments have recognised the necessity of increasing energy efficiency, which has an impact on the development of economies. This requires close cooperation between the business sector and companies which excel at implementing new technologies in order to achieve ambitious environmental goals. The business sector plays one of the major roles in sustainable development measures, emphasised the Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All.

Green bonds, where all the money must be directly used for environmental support measures, are growing in popularity. In 2018, the value of green bonds issued might reach USD 200 bn, compared to USD 13 bn in 2013. Poland has been the first country in the world to issue government green bonds, but worldwide a great majority of such bonds are issued by the private sector. Companies should make environmental protection a permanent fixture in their business models, argues Marcin Petrykowski from S&P Global Ratings.

Energy poverty, which affects up to 4.6 m people in Poland, the problem of smog in towns and cities, cyber-security of power plants and the digitisation of the power industry as a whole – these are only some of the challenges that can be addressed through energy sector innovation. Start-ups provide completely new solutions and perceive business in an entirely different way compared to traditional, conservative energy businesses.

The heating industry is facing challenges connected with an avalanche of new regulations: from the Winter Package to RES Directives, to the implementation of the capacity market and a new system of support for combined heat and power. According to industry representatives, this system should be independent but compatible with the capacity market. This would allow the heating industry to become a partner for the electric power industry.

Polskie Górnictwo Naftowe i Gazownictwo is investigating the possibilities of using unmanned aircraft systems to, i.a., detect gas leaks and monitor gas pipes. The systems are already used for geodetic measurements. The objective of using drones is not only to streamline the company’s operations but also to save millions. Currently PGNiG is cooperating with a start-up on using a new type of UAS for the company's purposes.