The interest in Clean Air has remained at the lowest level in past for six months since its re-launch.
If the current pace does not change, it will take us 35 years to destruct 2.5 million Cinderellas, according to the latest analysis by the SmogLab Foundation. From the start of the grant award in September 2018 to September 2025, over 1 million applications were submitted in the Clean Air Programme for a full amount of PLN 40 billion. The program has been in fresh years 1 of the most popular forms of state support for households.
By 2029 Cinderellas should vanish from the Polish landscape
Its intent is simple and straight recorded in authoritative documents: by 2029 Cinderellas should vanish from the Polish landscape. present we have about 2.5 million. It is worth recalling another fact – the acceleration of the exchange of Cinderellas and the increase in the rate of thermomodernization was entered in the coalition agreement of Donald Tusk's government. The Prime Minister himself announced records in these areas in December 2023.
Decrease in interest in Clean Air grants: 80% little year-on-year
The Foundation checked the pace in the flagship program of the governing coalition six months after the revolution in the grant award rules. It turns out that after the improvement carried out at the turn of 2024 and 2025, there was a drastic decline in interest in the programme. In the six months following the re-launch of the grant, citizens submitted only 33,8 000 applications (from 1 April to 26 September 2025). That's as much as it's been made in the past 2 months.
The Foundation compared the interest in the programme in the same period last year. It turns out that almost 157,000 applications were submitted from April to September 2024. This means that the interest in the programme fell by about 80% year-on-year. At this point, the Foundation analyses all applications, regardless of whether the possible beneficiary wants to carry out full thermomodernisation with the exchange of Cinderella, or whether it leaves the origin of heat unchanged (this situation is about 25-30 percent of all applications). If we took into account the conclusions without exchanging heat sources, the statistic would be even worse. On the another hand, the scale of own exchange is unknown – outside the programme, which is why we focus on the full number of proposals.
Clean air in Poland only in 2060.
Analyzing the last six months, an average monthly number of applications of around 5.7 1000 can be accepted, which gives at the current rate about 70 1000 applications per year. By comparison, in 2022 the yearly number of applications was 157 thousand, in 2023 it was already 217 thousand, and in 2024 – 271 thousand. This means that unless there is an increase in interest in the program, we will wait another 35 years for clean air. – It is simply a surrender in the fight not only for the life and wellness of Poles, but besides for their surviving conditions. The current pace means that the healthy air in Poland will be enjoyed only in 2060, although the program was founded by the liquidation of Cinderellas in 10 years from its beginning, or until 2029," says Maciej Fijak, editor-in-chief of SmogLab.
Meanwhile, in 2030, Poland is obliged to meet fresh air quality standards. If this happens, as the calculations of the European Clean Air Centre show, smog mortality will fall importantly and 20,000 people will be able to enjoy a longer life each year. presently in Poland, due to polluted air, about 40,000 people die prematurely each year. – If there was a advanced interest in eliminating the least effective boilers from erstwhile years, in respective years 30 million Poles and Poles could breathe air gathering the fresh standards. Today, only about 2 million citizens enjoy specified air,” adds Maciej Fijak, noting that the current rate of exchange of boilers crosses this goal.
Is the Prime Minister responding to the crisis? A peculiar committee has been set up
– In our analysis, we welcome any aspects of the government's actions specified as last year's introduction of fresh standards for coal, introduction of municipal operators in the Clean Air programme or mandatory energy audit," says Martyna Jabłońska from SmogLab. An effort to exit the crisis in the Clean Air programme may be to set up a Coordination Committee on the Programme. In mid-August, the Prime Minister signed an order on this matter, but the effects so far have not been seen.
Among another things, it is essential to destruct outstanding payments in the programme, which amounted to PLN 1 billion in early September 2025.
– In 2024 only 6 percent of Polish municipalities were checked. "plus" includes additional measures for the improvement of the air monitoring station network, which is crucial for the smooth implementation of the Air Directive in 2030," Jabłońska notes.
Among another things, it is essential to destruct outstanding payments in the programme, which amounted to PLN 1 billion in early September 2025.
