Regional Development Based on Environmental Competitive Advantages – A Comparative Analysis of Polish Voivodships

This article presents an assessment of the environmental competitiveness of Polish regions in the years 2004 and 2012. For the purposes of analysis, 26 indices of the condition and protection of the environment and also pressures placed on the environment were selected. With respect to each index, between 1 and 16 points were attributed to each region (16 units on the NUTS 2 level are distinguished in Poland) depending on the degree of environmental impact. Then, the points allocated to the voivodships for each index were totalled and a ranking of voivodships reflecting the level of environmental competitiveness was elaborated.