Climate change caused by the increasing anthropogenic emission of greenhouse gases represents the most serious environmental issue in the history of humankind. The most important anthropogenic greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O). Other greenhouse gases included in the GHG inventory are halogenated hydrocarbons (PFCs, HFCs) and SF₆, which are not covered by the Montreal Protocol. There is continuous pressure to formulate effective strategies and policies for the further reduction of emissions.

The GHG emissions presented in the National Inventory Report of the Slovak Republic, 2010 ¹, were updated and converted using the latest available methods, national conditions and data published by the Slovak Statistical Office. Total GHG emissions were 48 831.11 Gg in 2008 (without LULUCF). This represents a reduction of 33.92 % in comparison with the reference year 1990. In comparison with 2007, the emissions increased by 2.2 %. Figure 1 shows the current trend in GHG emissions compared with the 8 % Kyoto target.

Table 1 shows figures for aggregated GHG emissions expressed as CO₂ equivalents. In the period 1990–2008, the total greenhouse gas emissions in the Slovak Republic did not exceed the 1990 level.

Table 1: The total anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions (Tg of CO₂-eq.)

Source: Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute, National Inventory Report, 15 April 2010

1 National Inventory Report of the Slovak Republic, 15 April 2010, (http://ghg-inventory.shmu.sk and www.unfccc.int).

Comparison of the trend in GDP growth and the trend in aggregated GHG emissions shows that the Slovak Republic is one of the few countries where GDP growth does not follow the trend of GHG emissions, which has been stable since 1997. This shows that decoupling is feasible. But, in international terms, the level of GHG emissions per inhabitant still remains high.

Carbon intensity defined as CO₂ emissions per GDP is a similar indicator. The carbon intensity has reduced fourfold since 1994. This trend was maintained even during the period of high economic growth and it peaked on the decreased share of high energy-intensive industry in GDP generation and increased share of services.

Table 2: The carbon intensity per GDP in absolute values in the Slovak Republic in the period 1990–2008

Source: Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute, 15 April 2010, y axis left = emissions in Tg, y axis right = GDP in bio €, The values are absolute, GDP after recalculation in 2009 up to 1997, data before 1994 are not available.

(Figure 3): The carbon intensity per GDP in absolute values in the Slovak Republic in the period 1990–2008

According to statistical information from the Ministry of Economy, the energy industry reached a 2.7 % share of the total GDP of the Slovak Republic in 2008. Energy intensity is still 1.8 times higher than the average in EU15, despite its continual decrease. The reason for this is the adversely high share of energy-intensive industry in the GDP. This trend can be seen also in the indicator comparing the primary consumption of energy resources (which is approximately at the same level as 1994) with the GDP growth. Energy intensity is expressed in PJ/billion euro.

(Figure 4): The trend in energy intensity (right y axis) in the period 1994–2008 (after the formation of the Slovak Republic)

The Slovak Republic regularly updates and provides emission projection scenarios for three possible scenarios until 2020. The energy and industry projections are modelled by the programme MESSAGE. Emission scenarios are developed according to international guidelines. According to the Kyoto Protocol, the Slovak Republic is committed to reduce GHG emissions by 8 % during the period 2008–12 related to the base year (1990) level. Following the UNFCCC guidelines the Slovak Republic has prepared emission projections for all three scenarios:

• WM: with measures

• WOM: without measures

• WAM: with additional measures

Possible impacts of the EU ETS (the price of allowances) and an increasing share of renewable energy resources in the energy balance of the Slovak Republic have been investigated by modelling with existing measures (WM) and with additional measures (WAM) scenarios. There is an urgent need to diversify the importation of primary energy sources and to decrease our dependency on imports by using a higher share of domestic renewable energy sources (RES), namely by biomass in the Slovak Republic ¹. The quantitative information are available in the document Strategy for higher use of renewable energy resources in the Slovak Republic.

Table 3: Electricity production in GWh from RES 2002–2007

Source: Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic, Energy statistics of the Slovak Statistical Office

The economic measures and restructuring of industry including the energy sector played the most important role in achieving current decoupling of GHG emissions in the Slovak Republic. The role of national environmental legislation for air quality protection which was adopted in the Slovak Republic in 1991 could be important, if not decisive.

Provisions of Act No 137/2010 on air protection:

• focused on the regulation of basic pollutants emissions as SO₂, NOx, CO and solid particles from middle and large-scale sources,

• allowed the use of only operators using BATNEEC (best available technology not entailing excessive costs) for the establishment of new and retrofitting old units,

• defined charges for non-compliance with concentration emission limits.

• the classification of emission sources into Categories A and B by introducing Category B for existing sources not meeting emission limits by the originally announced deadline,

• higher charges for non-compliance and dynamic increases,

• a domestic cap and trade system with SO₂ emission quotas on country, district and individual source level,

• by ministerial decree in 2000, quotas for district level for the years 2002, 2003 and 2004 were first issued,

• district competent authorities have further quotas to distribute to source operators.

The basic legal framework for climate change was gradually expanded in 2008 by other new as well as existing revised legal instruments, in particular Directive 2004/101/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2003/87/EC, expanding the emission trading scheme, which will also cover aviation since 2012. At the national level transposed to the Act 117/2007 Coll. changing and amending Act 572/2004 Coll. on emission trading and on the change and the amendment of certain acts, as amended by Act 733/2004 Coll. The Act amends several provisions of the Act 572/2004 Coll. regarding terms and definitions, rights and obligations of the Ministry of Environment, the administrator of the Registry and traders with emission allowances. In relation to the transposition of Directive 2004/101/EC, the act defines conditions for the use of certified emission reduction (CER) and emission reduction units (ERU) within the trading scheme.

As a follow-up to its commitment, the European Commission put forward in January 2008 the climate change and energy package ¹ including new legislative measures covering the main sectors of the EU economy. The Climate and Energy Package was officially approved in 2009 as a complex framework for compliance with the ambitious goals of the European Union by 2020. A parallel process of the transposition of approved standards into national legislation is progressing, as well as the development of new legislative instruments at the level of the European Commission. The Slovak Government established in their Resolution No 190/2008, 26 March 2008, the Climate-Energy Package Committee at state-secretary-level of ministries of the environment, transport, finance, economy, regional development, agriculture and foreign affairs to implement policies and measures into national circumstances. In November 2009, the Committee will present their final report of planned policies and measures inside the sectors, with their impact on national emission and energy saving level up to 2020 ², to the Slovak Government.

1 Communication from the Commission: Progress Towards Achieving the Kyoto Objectives, Brussels, 7 August 2008.

2 The Slovak Government Resolution No 190/2008 (http://www.rokovania.sk/appl/material.nsf/0/A874BB1EE211E046C1257516004A39B6/$FILE/Zdroj.html).