Poland is Europe’s most coal-reliant country and despite political promises, it still burns more of the fuel than any other EU member. In this deep-dive video essay, Alicja Ptak explores the history, politics, and economics that keep coal at the heart of Poland’s energy mix, and why moving away from it has been so difficult.

From miners’ political power in Silesia to EU climate rules, carbon taxes, and stalled wind energy laws, we unpack the forces shaping Poland’s energy future and ask whether the country can really quit coal by 2035.

You can read the text of the essay on Notes from Poland website and watch a video essay on YouTube.