The PRE_COP24 social conference, organized before the December climate summit, started on Thursday with an address by Grzegorz Tobiszowski, Vice-Minister of Energy and Michał Kurtyka, Vice-Minister of the Environment and government plenipotentiary for the COP24 presidency.

- We have to think about COP24 in symbolic terms and the industrial city of Katowice is undoubtedly a symbolic place. The upcoming summit will be of break-through significance. I’m happy that already today we can talk together about the changes using a common language thanks to the engagement of all the parties involved – said Michał Kurtyka, Vice-Minister of the Environment, who emphasized that he is aware of the huge responsibility for organization of the COP24 climate summit.

- Time has come to take stock of the measures committed over the past 25 years
in climate protection, comparing them with the intended objectives and the attained effects. The upcoming COP24 summit is very important for us and the discussion should lead to a diagnosis. We are proud that this meeting will be held in Poland, in Katowice – emphasized Grzegorz Tobiszowski, Vice-Minister of Energy.

In the International Congress Center the participants were discussing whether it’s possible to stop global warming without excessive reduction of jobs in industry. Panelists from the power, mining and coking industries many times argued that Polish enterprises are leaders on the path to a clean environment. What they share is principally the respect and responsibility for environmental protection.