Slovenia
In 2010, a draft Climate Change Act and a draft Long-Term Climate (Low-Carbon) Strategy for Slovenia were prepared. The main aim of these documents is to provide a framework for long-term climate objectives and the implementation of a low-carbon society.
The global economic crisis has also affected Slovenia. Seeking to accelerate the economic recovery process, in the beginning of February 2010, the government adopted the Slovenian Exit Strategy for 2010–2013.
The Climate Change Act is part of Slovenia’s Exit Strategy, as efficient counter-climate change measures are expected to improve the long-term competitiveness of the economy and create new jobs with a higher added-value.
Government budget cuts have been announced. The government’s general deficit for 2010 has been revised to 5.6% of GDP (or just over €2bn). The government plans to cut the budget gap to 3.6% of GDP in 2012.
Expenditure related to the measure Regulation of efficient energy use and renewable energy increased 3.9% in 2011 compared to 2010. This budget is planned to grow by only 2% in 2012 and 0.4% in 2013. For 2010-2011, €0.4m a year has been allocated for the measure Regulation, control and care of the production and distribution of electricity. Expenditures of the Environmental Agency for environmental policy and general administrative matters also increased from €6.04m (2010) to €8.6m (2011).
The amendment of the Law on Motor Vehicles Tax adopted in January 2010, means that the tax level now depends upon the amount of CO2 emitted and the type of fuel used.
The Government plans to stimulate the green economy. Slovenia’s National Renewable Energy Action Plan for 2010-2020 determines various measures to stimulate renewable energy consumption. A new 600 MW coal plant has secured €770m worth of loans from European financial institutions. The proposed coal plant at Termoelektrarna Sostanj in Slovenia will replace five less-efficient units, which are due to close. The new plant will burn lignite.
Over the last period Slovenia implemented some positive climate and energy policies. 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 also improving the building certification process and conditions have been created for sustainable forest management.
Croatia
The Association for Energy, Renewable Energy Resources, the Development of Energy Efficiency and Environmental Protection of Zagreb which provides information, promotes and performs activities for the harmonisation with energy and ecological EU policies as well as the development of the green economy, started a five-year national and international campaign Invest in Green Croatia together with the National Information Centre on Energy and Environmental Investment. Support for the development of the green economy in Croatia is connected with the goals of EU cohesion policy in order to create sustainable development, create new jobs and increase competitiveness.
The open market for investing in the green economy is crucial for creating long-term work and revitalising the national economy, and it is the basis of a dedicated battle against climate change. The openness of such a system contributes to the opening of new markets for the local economy, which will allow it to use all possibilities arising from the need to solve the problem of climate change and new potential sources of economic growth.
Such an approach and its numerous cross-border, transnational and inter-regional programmes, offers an important platform for new types of co-operation. The five-year national-information campaign Invest in Green Croatia was founded with the aim of promoting Croatia as a market open to investment and investors in the development of a green economy in all economic activities, from research, design, production, service industries and distribution. Within the framework of this campaign, the Association for energy in Zagreb opened a registry-catalogue of green economy investment where it is possible to present green projects as well as investors intending to invest in green projects.
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