Poland is the largest hard coal producer in the European Union, with about 90% of the country's electricity generated by coal.

"The Polish economy and Polish energy, just as it was based on coal in the past, will still be based on coal in a modern, more environmentally friendly way. It will certainly be our main choice for many, many years," Tusk said, according to Platts.

"Respecting ecological goals, respecting the need to reduce emissions, above all CO2, we will, however, still be based on coal.

“This means we will invest in the mining industry, in mining machinery, to reduce its CO2 emissions through modern technologies and not by erasing coal from our energy mix," he added.

The announcement comes just months before Poland hosts UN talks in November on slowing climate change and the concurrent World Coal Association International Coal and Climate Summit.

The UN talks will progress goals towards a new climate deal to be ratified in Paris in 2015.

Poland has already committed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 14% by 2020, compared to 2005 levels, and raise the total energy consumption from renewable sources to 15.48% by 2020.