The Board of Directors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has approved its new country strategy for Poland for 2024-29. The strategy sets out the Bank’s three priorities in the country for the next five years, namely:
- accelerating Poland’s green transition
- supporting the competitiveness of Polish companies through innovation, digitalisation and good governance
- strengthening resilience and economic integration.
To accelerate Poland’s green transition, the Bank will continue to support the scaling up of renewable energy projects.
With fossil fuels dominating Poland’s total energy supply, large-scale investment is needed to expand renewable energy capacity and strengthen the grid to meet the country’s goal of 50 per cent of electricity produced from renewable energy sources by 2030.
At the same time, investments in energy efficiency, particularly in residential buildings and district heating networks, are needed to decarbonise the economy and support Poland in its aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Consequently, the Bank will target energy and resource efficiency in industry, buildings and logistics, drawing on traditional and innovative financing products and undertaking policy engagement to support more private-sector involvement. The Bank will continue to support clients with advisory services on green technologies and practices.
To foster corporate competitiveness, the Bank will support innovative and highly competitive companies in Poland that want to develop domestically and expand abroad. This is key to boosting Poland’s stagnant manufacturing productivity and achieving its economic growth potential.
The EBRD will place a particular emphasis on equity investments in Polish companies, whenever feasible, and support clients with technical assistance to build stronger corporate and climate governance practices.
The Bank will further focus on strengthening the Polish economy's resilience to external shocks on three dimensions: energy security, capital markets and regional integration.
It will consider investing in the expansion of electricity transmission and distribution grids to increase the absorption of more renewable energy production. It will also support the scaling up of finance through capital market mechanisms, as shallow local capital markets, credit tightening and a shift in market sentiment towards the region continue to constrain private firms’ access to loans and capital.
The Bank will also help Poland to build on its strategic position to support Ukraine’s reconstruction and greater integration into the European Union by investing in sustainable transport and logistics infrastructure to improve connectivity.
The new country strategy for Poland was approved by the Bank’s Board of Directors after a comprehensive consultation period and reflects feedback from shareholders, the Polish authorities, the private sector and civil society.
Poland is among the EBRD’s top markets by investment volume. Last year, the Bank invested a record €1.3 billion in the country. Since the start of its operations in Poland in 1991, the Bank has invested more than €14.6 billion in 534 projects there.