Slovenia Can Choose Ways to Tackle Climate Change, Panel Says
Slovenia has an opportunity to choose the way in which it will tackle climate change - it can wait for other countries' initiatives or frame its own strategy, National Council President Janez Susnik told Tuesday's panel on "Plan B for Slovenia".
Vida Ogorelec Wagner, the head of environmental NGO Umanotera and one of the authors of Plan B, said that the plan was a vision of new development patterns through which Slovenia could take advantage of the opportunities of transition in which the world is now.
Branka Tome, state secretary at the Agriculture, Forestry and Food Ministry, noted that numerous issues in the plan were also on the ministry's agenda.
State Secretary at the Environment and Spatial Planning Ministry Mitja Bricelj meanwhile highlighted the importance of cooperation in tackling climate change.
Councillor and Trzin Mayor Tone Persak said that it was necessary to change the way of thinking about climate change at the local level, and be aware that every individual had to act sustainably.
Tomaz Fatur of the research institution Jozef Stefan Institute meanwhile explained that Slovenia had energy policy goals and international obligations, however it was lagging behind in achieving them.
Plan B for Slovenia was drafted as a response to the government's "plan A", a resolution on national development projects by 2023 and development strategy for Slovenia by 2013.
It sets three priorities: transition to a society with lower greenhouse gas emissions, adapting to climate change and putting emphasis on the countryside as Slovenia's advantage.
The plan says that as a small and flexible country, Slovenia can draft a development strategy based on its geographic position and human and natural resources, and that the Slovenian EU presidency in the first half of 2008 could be the opportunity to start implementing this role.
The first version of the plan was presented as the world marks World Environment Day. The authors want to make a second, more detailed and expanded version by June 2008.
More articles from this issue:
Archive
|