Slovakia

Slovakia

Minister of Environment

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

Firstly I would like to thank to the Government of Japan for the initiative to launch this online platform. I believe it may play very important role in sharing knowledge and experience in facing post-pandemic recovery. It is crucially important to see and learn how to use the post COVID-19 stimulus in shaping a more sustainable, resilient and competitive economy for the future. This discussion will center on the opportunities and challenges facing green recovery measures worldwide.

Slovakia recently joined several Member States of the European Union to pledge support for the European Green Deal playing a central role in post COVID-19 economic recovery.

We are convinced that the recovery has also to reflect the two biggest challenges, namely climate change and the loss of biodiversity. This can only be achieved through close cooperation among all institutions in finding solutions and opportunities.

We know everything that will need to be done in each policy to reverse negative trends. Ensuring synergies between these policies, their public acceptance and funding remains an issue. All sectoral policies must be set up in such a way as to ensure not only declarative but, in particular, real compliance with basic environmental principles. No environmentally harmful subsidies should be promoted and all policies should be subject to rigorous environmental impact assessments, in particular climate change and biodiversity. To ensure these conditions and synergies between policies, only investments that are in line with the principle of sustainability need to be supported.

The highest priority is to ensure that this low-carbon transformation has broad public support, is socially just and contributes to economic growth and maintaining the competitiveness of our industry and economy..

As part of the fulfilment of its obligations, Slovakia has already issued and continuously updates its Low carbon strategy for the development of the SR until 2030, with a view to 2050, as well as the National climate and energy plan. In line with EU legislation, it also plans to draft and adopt a Climate change Act (around the end of 2022) with a long-term carbon neutrality goal by 2050.

Investments in the energy sector (especially renovation of buildings) and transport are perceived by SR as the most suitable, while the focus should be on deep renovation of buildings, monitoring their energy efficiency, developing efficient DH, decarbonising transport (preferring public transport and alternative fuels, combining different modes of transport, developing cycling ...) etc.

Slovakia defines the issue of adaptation to climate change as its priority in multiple strategic documents. The main instrument for increasing the adaptability of the SR is the Adaptation strategy of the SR to climate change. Other important documents are the Strategy of the environmental policy of the SR until 2030 - Greener Slovakia or Action plan to address the consequences of drought and water scarcity - the value is water.

Ministry of the environment of Slovakia is currently preparing an Action plan for adaptation of the SR to climate change, which will be an implementation document of the national adaptation strategy.

One of the priority areas for adaptation to climate change is the residential environment, especially cities.

In Slovakia, the situation is copying world trends, more than half of our inhabitants lead an urban lifestyle. The high carbon footprint that our cities create is the result of inappropriate spatial planning, planning and use of the urban environment.

Thus, on the one hand, cities are one of the main causes of climate change, and on the other hand, they are most affected by its adverse effects. However, we must not forget that they have enormous potential to offer solutions. Innovations in energy, energy efficiency of buildings, mobility and planning have the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide scope for the implementation of adaptation measures.

With regard to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, solutions can be achieved by changing the way urban areas are planned, built and managed and by effectively optimizing their energy supply. Well-designed, compact, logically connected and green urban zones with good public transport and bicycle transport significantly reduce the carbon footprint of urban dwellers and are key to achieving many sustainable development goals.

Finally, I would like to inform you, that Minister of Environment of the Slovak Republic Jan Budaj addresses to this conference video message, which should be available through this platform. His words are the best evidence of Slovakian approach to build a climate-neutral, ecological, fair and social world, based on the transition to climate neutrality, combating biodiversity loss and ensuring sustainability.