###### Abstract  
The transport of the winning in deep mines, using the room and pillar mining system, is most often performed with bucket loaders and haul trucks. In the era of attempts to stop rapid climate change, it is crucial to choose the transport means for the winning both in terms of efficiency and cost-effectiveness and to consider its environmental aspect. Permissible levels of pollutant emissions in exhaust gases are defined for this type of means of transport by the EU Stage Standards. There is a discernible need to develop a multi-criteria method supporting the decision-making process, which should reward loaders and haul trucks that meet more stringent emission standards. The article proposes an innovative idea of taking environmental aspects into account when selecting loaders and haul trucks for excavated material transport tasks, so that the amount of pollutants emitted by them in exhaust gases, e.g., the sum of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides (HC+NOx), is also taken into consideration when assigning means of transport to particular tasks. Based on simulation studies for a specific case, it was found that a 20% reduction of HC+NOx emission is possible with only a 2% increase in the transport costs of the winning. For this purpose, an objective function was used formulated on the basis of two criteria: minimization of the transport cost of the winning and the level of pollutant emissions in the exhaust gases. Since dozens of mining machines are operated continuously in deep mines of non-ferrous metal ones, the application of the proposed method would significantly reduce the emission of pollutants in the used air coming out of ventilation shafts.  
method of selecting means of transport; stage emissions standards; simulation modeling; reduction of pollutant emissions; multi-criteria optimization  
1  
K.A.W.W.R.  
mining machines [2]. At the same time, some manufacturers provide mining machines that meet the newer exhaust emission standards [3]. Long transition periods and the principles of operation on the market of previously approved structures come to the assistance of mining machinery manufacturers. There are also manufacturers of mining machinery who do not provide information on what emission standards their machines meet [4], apparently considering this parameter to be irrelevant for their potential customers.  
In the era of attempts to stop rapid climate change, it is crucial to choose the transport modes for the winning in deep mines both in terms of efficiency and cost-effectiveness as well as considering their environmental aspect. As an environmental aspect, it is proposed to use the permissible level of pollutant content in the exhaust gases from the engines of loaders and haul trucks, determined under the Stage standards as the sum of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides (HC+NO\({}_{\text{x}}\)) masses or the mass of particulate matter (PM).  
There is a need to develop a multi-criteria method supporting the decision-making process on the type of transport mode to choose for transporting the winning in the room and pillar mining systems. Taking into account the environmental aspect, the method should reward loaders and haul trucks that comply with more stringent emission standards.