Overall assessment
The 2010 version of the Climate Policy Tracker gave Slovenia a rating of E. Over the last year Slovenia implemented some positive climate and energy policies. The drafts of the Climate Change Act and the Long-Term Climate (Low-Carbon) Strategy have been prepared. Progress in encouraging the switch to renewables and greater energy efficiency has been made and access to EU funding is expected to improve. Slovenia introduced programmes to co-finance renewable heat in households, industry and district heating with biomass. An amendment to the Regulation on Support of Electricity Produced from Renewables, introduces a 10% annual decrease of support for photovoltaic (PV) installations until 2014. Slovenia is improving the building certification process. Conditions have been created for sustainable forest management.
Recommendations on most urgent actions
- Slovenia does not yet have an ambitious, long-term national climate strategy with binding targets that provide long-term certainty to all stakeholders (see for example UK or Ireland). It needs to finalise its draft strategy.
- Slovenia’s plans to build a 600 MW lignite-fired power plant are heavily counterproductive considering the positive developments and policies the country has undertaken. A best practise policy would be the implementation of an Emission Performance standard for (new) power plants. This policy would further strengthen Slovenia’s efforts to develop a low-carbon economy.