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Surrounding -focus- environment

Focus on yourself- not the country
Learning experience
Poland, like many other countries with a significant extraction industry, has released multiple
policy’s to prevent disasters in extraction industry

1. **Stringent Regulation and Oversight**:

- Establish and enforce strict regulations governing all aspects of the extraction industry, from
safety standards to environmental protections.

2. **Comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs)**:

- Mandate thorough EIAs for all extraction projects to evaluate potential environmental
impacts, and ensure that adequate mitigation measures are in place.

3. **Safety and Health Protocols**:

- Enforce rigorous safety and health protocols for workers in the extraction industry to reduce
accidents and fatalities.

4. **Modernizing Infrastructure**:
- Invest in updating and modernizing infrastructure, machinery, and equipment to improve
safety and reduce the risk of accidents.

5. **Training and Education**:

- Provide training and education programs for industry workers to increase their knowledge of
safety practices and disaster prevention.

6. **Emergency Response Planning**:

- Develop comprehensive emergency response plans that outline how to react to various
disaster scenarios, including accidents, spills, or collapses.

7. **Environmental Rehabilitation and Remediation**:

- Implement policies that require companies to remediate and rehabilitate areas affected by
extraction activities, such as reforestation and land reclamation.

8. **Community Engagement**:
- Involve local communities in the decision-making process, ensuring that their concerns and
needs are considered.

9. **Financial Assurance**:
- Require mining companies to provide financial assurances or bonds to cover the cost of
potential environmental cleanup in the event of a disaster.
10. **Monitoring and Reporting**:
- Establish a robust system for monitoring and reporting on the environmental and safety
performance of extraction companies.

11. **Transition to Sustainable Practices**:

- Encourage a transition to more sustainable and environmentally friendly extraction
practices, such as cleaner mining technologies and renewable energy sources.

12. **Diversification of the Economy**:

- Encourage economic diversification to reduce dependence on a single industry, which can
help mitigate the economic impact of a disaster in the extraction sector.

13. **International Cooperation**:

- Collaborate with neighboring countries and international organizations on shared
environmental and safety concerns, especially when dealing with transboundary issues.

14. **Research and Innovation**:

- Support research and innovation in the industry to develop and implement advanced
technologies that improve safety and environmental performance.

15. **Long-term Planning**:

- Develop long-term plans for the gradual reduction of coal and other non-renewable
resources, and the transition to more sustainable energy sources.

Preventing disasters in the extraction industry requires a multifaceted approach that combines
strong regulations, responsible corporate practices, and active engagement with the local
community and other stakeholders. Poland can use these policies as a starting point to
minimize the risks associated with its extraction activities and protect both its environment and
its citizens.

Active climate policy in the 21st century is defined as a policy of decarbonisation. The
climate goals for Europe (energy transition goals), which involve reducing greenhouse
gas emissions, increasing the share of energy from renewable sources and improving
energy efficiency, are addressed at inter-state level. They lead to a reduction of the
importance of coal in electricity and heat production across the continent (Ringel and
Knodt, 2018).
Actions aimed to reduce coal consumption are visible in the subsequent decisions of
European Union Member States. These countries (including Poland) are obliged to
implement the guidelines of the adopted strategies and documents. These are mainly
the European plan on climate change with the EU ETS, BAT Conclusions, Directive
2010/75/UE on industrial emissions, Directive 2012/27/UE on energy efficiency and
other directives, European Green Deal (BAT Conclusions, 2017; EPP, 2021)
The document announcing the closure of the mines (by 2049) was signed on September
24, 2020. Its signatories are representatives of the Polish government and Inter-Union
Protest and Strike Committee of the Śląsko-Dąbrowski Region (Agreement, 2020). The
document specifies the final closing date for individual mines belonging to the largest
coal mining company in the country (Polska Grupa Górnicza – PGG) and the principle
according to which miners are provided with jobs in the mines until retirement. The
final version of the document is to depend on the social agreement regulating the
functioning of the hard coal mining sector. A previous proposal by the Ministry of State
Assets postulated earlier dates for mine closures (i.e. by 2040) (Mielczarski, 2020).

Indonesia - Deforestation and Fires (Ongoing):

● The palm oil industry in Indonesia has been associated with deforestation
and recurring forest fires, leading to severe air pollution and habitat
destruction. These fires have a significant impact on air quality,
biodiversity, and human health.
Australia - Bushfires (2020):
● While not directly caused by the extraction industry, the extended droughts
and bushfires in Australia in 2019-2020 were exacerbated by climate
change, which is linked to greenhouse gas emissions from industries like
coal mining. These bushfires had devastating effects on communities,
wildlife, and the environment.

These examples underscore the importance of stringent regulations, responsible

industry practices, and disaster prevention and response measures in the extraction

industry. They also highlight the need for a transition to more sustainable and

environmentally responsible practices to mitigate the negative impacts of resource

extraction.

Brazil - Brumadinho Dam Collapse (2019):

● In January 2019, a tailings dam owned by Vale, one of the world's largest mining
companies, collapsed in Brumadinho, Brazil. The disaster resulted in the release
of a massive wave of mining waste, killing more than 270 people, causing
extensive environmental damage, and contaminating nearby waterways.
Indonesia - Deforestation and Fires (Ongoing):
● The palm oil industry in Indonesia has been associated with deforestation and
recurring forest fires, leading to severe air pollution and habitat destruction.
These fires have a significant impact on air quality, biodiversity, and human
health.
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