Slovenia faces the challenge of balancing economic growth and development with the need to reduce its ecological footprint. Its ecological footprint has exceeded the country’s biocapacity for several years in a row. Ecological Debt Day for Slovenia, when the country has already used up all the resources and ecosystem benefits that the Earth can replenish in one year, took place four days before Earth Day this year, the same as last year.

Slovenia is taking action to reduce its environmental impact and promote sustainable development, working to increase energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote the use of renewable energy sources. One of the goals of the Slovenian Development Strategy 2030 is to reduce the country’s ecological footprint by 20%, and the Government is in the process of adopting a climate bill and updating the National Energy and Climate Plan. In addition to technological solutions, a shift to a low-carbon circular economy and a radical change in our society’s habits are needed to achieve the target of a one-fifth reduction in our ecological footprint by 2030, stressed Uroš Vajgl, State Secretary at the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy.

Data from the Statistical Office of Slovenia shows that the number of alternative fuel vehicles in Slovenia is increasing, while the amount of municipal waste being disposed of is decreasing. Around 6 tonnes of CO₂-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions per capita are produced annually, slightly below the EU-27 average. Slovenia is also the third most forested country in the EU-27, and forests are one of the most important absorbers of CO₂ emissions and filters of particulate matter. Forest cover is therefore a key factor in the transition to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.