Two years to the day since the Kyoto Protocol came into effect, Environment Minister Janez Podobnik is confident that Slovenia has met all its commitments under the treaty. What is more, Slovenia, along with other EU members, is looking beyond 2012, when the current protocol runs out, Podobnik said Friday.
The Kyoto Protocol, which aims to curb air pollution through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, has so far been ratified by 169 countries, including Slovenia. The treaty pledges to cut these emissions by 5.2% by 2012.
Slovenia's Kyoto target is to bring down the emissions by 8% to below the level of 1986. This means that it should cut its emissions by 18.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2012, which the country is on track to achieve. The government adopted an operative gas emission reduction plan in December 2006.
"We are pleased the Slovenian CO2 emission allocation plan is the first after Britain's to be endorsed [by the EU]. This is an acknowledgment to Slovenia that it has submitted a fair plan to the European Commission," Podobnik said on the sidelines of a meeting with the mayors of the border regions of Obsotelje and Kozjansko (NE).
"We have not fiddled anything, but have made realistic assessments of the situation in the energy sector, transport, utilities and agriculture," Podobnik added as he addressed reporters in the town of Smarje pri Jelsah.
According to him, Slovenia, Great Britain and possibly Spain are about to sign a joint declaration on the Kyoto Protocol anniversary, which would be addressed to the European public. The minister added that Kyoto mechanisms would be one of Slovenia's priorities for when it holds the EU presidency in 2008.
The operative plan for the implementation of Kyoto targets lists seven measures, including a technological overhaul of Slovenian thermal power plants, reduction of energy consumption in industry, increase in renewable energy sources and replacement of fossil fuels with biological ones.
The plan also envisages trading in emission allowances and an improvement of the energy efficiency of buildings. In transport, Slovenia plans to promote public transport and shifting transit from roads to railways.
According to Andrej Kranjc of the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, the energy sector, which accounts for the bulk of greenhouse gas emissions, is well-covered with emission coupon trading, while it also needs restructuring.
"The most problematic is the transport sector where emissions keep increasing," Kranjc said. He pledged the committee in charge would step up its efforts to tackle the issue.
The costs of the implementation of the measures are estimated at EUR 48.5m a year, except for measures in transport where an additional EUR 79m a year will be needed for the introduction of bio fuels and promotion of public transport. The cost of activities regarding carbon sequestration are estimated at EUR 1.3m a year, according to Podobnik.
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