Authorities want to show citizens they need to save energy, says mayor of Polish capital
Warsaw city administration is considering limiting the number of decorative lights this Christmas or even turning them off altogether to encourage Poles to save energy, local media reported on Wednesday, citing Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski.
“We want to symbolically show the people of Warsaw that energy should be saved“, Trzaskowski told Radia ZET, adding that this would not solve the energy shortage, but would demonstrate that Poland takes energy saving seriously.
Festive lighting is usually placed along the Royal Route, which features many of the city’s historic landmarks, including several palaces and churches.
The mayor also indicated that the authorities are planning other measures to reduce energy consumption.
As is the case for the rest of Europe, Poland is facing a severe energy crisis, exacerbated by soaring gas prices and Russia’s decision to cut off the country’s natural gas supply at the end of April. . Russian energy giant Gazprom halted gas deliveries after Warsaw refused to pay in rubles.
In late March, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that countries, including Poland, that have imposed sanctions on Russia but continue to import its gas would be required to make payments in Russian national currency.
Earlier in July, to mitigate the impact of the crisis, Poland backed legislation to ease gas trading rules, extend price protection for consumers and draw up contingency plans for gas operators. ‘electricity. These measures aim to speed up the response of the authorities if the energy crisis worsens further.
In June, the government also reminded citizens that they are allowed to collect firewood from the forests for warmth if they obtain a permit.
Plans to limit Christmas lights in Warsaw come as another European city, Berlin, considers similar measures. Earlier this month, Mayor Franziska Giffey backed the idea of not lighting landmarks such as the Brandenburg Gate to save energy. Local authorities have gone so far as to suggest leaving some streetlights off as long as it doesn’t compromise safety.
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