European Union countries edged closer to agreement on a new climate target at a summit on Thursday, but deferred a deal on the emissions-cutting goal to a meeting in December.
The EU’s executive, the European Commission, is pushing for a goal of reducing emissions to 55% of 1990 levels by 2030, a significant change from the current EU target of 40%.
Leaders of countries like the Czech Republic and Poland, which is heavily reliant on coal, have expressed concern that the goal is not obtainable at the national level, and not without increased financial support from the EU to help carbon-intensive countries transition to cleaner alternatives.
In a joint statement, EU leaders urged the Commission “to conduct in-depth consultations with member states to assess the specific situations and to provide more information about the impact at member states’ level.” As Prime Minister Morawiecki is still self-isolating after being exposed to COVID-19, Czech Prime Minister Andrzej Babis spoke on behalf of Poland.
Roughly half of the EU’s 27 members – including Germany, France, Spain, Latvia and Denmark – have said they support the “at least 55%” goal. The target would usher in sweeping changes to EU policies, including tighter car emissions standards and higher carbon costs for industry and airlines.
A group of Polish medics recently returned from a mission to Lebanon, where they helped in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
For nearly two months, the Polish team supported Lebanese health care staff by diagnosing and treating patients. According to one team member, “It is thanks to procedures, guidelines and training that we are able to systematize and improve the work of the local staff […] the long-term results will improve the comfort of both patients and employees.”
The Polish medics–who earlier this year travelled to Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Madagascar on similar missions–will now continue combating the coronavirus at home.
The Poles’ mission was part of a major humanitarian project managed by the Polish Centre for International Aid (PCPM) in cooperation with the World Health Organisation.
As of today, new coronavirus restrictions are in force all across Poland as most of the country, including all of Trójmiasto, moves into the “red zone.”
Covering your nose and mouth is mandatory in all public and commercial spaces, with the exception of open areas such as parks, beaches, and green areas. Seating on public transit is restricted to 50% occupancy and cultural events are limited to 25% participation. Restaurants and pubs will have reduced seating and will be required to stop dine-in service by 9pm, and gyms, swimming pools, and waterparks are not allowed to operate.
The move comes after a sharp spike in confirmed coronavirus cases, particularly in regions around the urban centers of Warsaw, Kraków, and Wrocław. Health officials in Poland confirmed 7,705 new cases on Friday along with a record 132 deaths, the most since the pandemic began in early March.
Memorial events in Poland and around the world have been paying tribute to John Paul II, the late Polish-born pope who led the Roman Catholic Church from 1978 to 2005.
October 16 marked 42 years since Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyła was elected Pope John Paul II. The late pontiff was a strong supporter of Poland’s anti-communist Solidarity movement, and is recognised worldwide as a key influence in helping to end communist rule in Poland in 1989.
Recently unearthed documents show that Pope John Paul II was seen as the main enemy of Poland’s communist-era rulers, according to files from the archives of the Hoover Institution in California. His first official visit to Poland in 1979 is widely-credited by historians as a catalyst for events culminating in the creation of the Solidarity trade union and the eventual downfall of communism in Poland and elsewhere in Europe.
Pope John Paul II was the third longest-serving pontiff in history and was declared a saint in 2014.
Weather
Saturday will again be cold and overcast, with shifting breezes coming in from the north and east and an increasing chance of rain showers later in the day. Temperatures will peak at 8°C, or 47°F, and drop to a chilly overnight low of 4°C or 40°F. Similar weather is expected tomorrow, with a potential break in the clouds and slightly warmer temps on Monday.
Elizabeth Peck/ako
