Local resilience for low-carbon transition in Poland: Frameworks, conditions and opportunities for Central European countries

Poland, with its objective of switching from a fossil-fuel base to renewable sources of energy, is a textbook example of an energy transition economy. In this review, the challenges and opportunities for local resilience were identified, followed by an in-depth analysis of Low Carbon Economy Plans (LCEP) in the 10 largest cities of Poland. The methodology included a bibliometric analysis of the peer-reviewed studies published from 2010 to 2022, along with K-means clustering (empirical analysis) of the selected Polish cities. The challenges and opportunities were classified into social (S), economic (E), institutional (I), political (P), technological (T) and environmental (EN) dimensions. Institutional and political dimensions were identified as having a relatively neglected niche in low-carbon transition research, necessitating an empirical analysis of LCEP at the city scale. Exploiting the knowledge base of traditional sustainable activities, understanding the power relations between the politics, stakeholders and industry elements, and knowledge-based governance were found vital for creating relevant policies. Three modes of development, multi-activity goals (MG), energy transition goals (EG), and transport goals (TG) were identified for increasing local resilience. The results illustrate the need to understand low-carbon policies and their impacts on both energy transitions and local resilience.

Automated summary

Poland serves as a textbook example of an energy transition economy, aiming to shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. This review investigates the challenges and opportunities for local resilience, with a focus on the Low Carbon Economy Plans (LCEP) of the ten largest cities in Poland. The study employs a methodology that includes bibliometric analysis of peer-reviewed studies and K-means clustering of selected Polish cities. The findings highlight the neglected dimensions of institutional and political factors in low-carbon transition research, emphasizing the importance of empirical analysis at the city level. The study identifies three modes of development and underscores the need to understand the impacts of low-carbon policies on energy transitions and local resilience.