Dusan Bella: A Greener Slovakia

Climate change and the loss of biodiversity are taking place before us. Slovakia is a member of the European Union. We are also actively participating in the formulation and implementation of various environmental protection strategies, measures, policies and laws of the European Union. We just hope to reduce the common impact of global climate change on human beings in Europe and even in the world. Slovakia greatly supports the EU's Green New Deal. The new president of the European Commission has also made many commitments. He hopes to take the European Green New Deal as a new vision, so that every EU country can think and work in one place. This is also our road map in climate change. We hope to turn Europe into the world's first environment-friendly continent by 2050. The Green New Deal in Europe provides a very specific and feasible route and action guide, telling us how to use resources more effectively and efficiently, so that our economic development can be sustainable, circular, healthy and clean. Only through the transformation of economic development mode can we prevent and intervene in climate change and reverse the trend of biodiversity loss.

Slovak’ challenges require a long-term vision and strategic direction. Therefore, the Slovak people welcome the new environmental strategy issued by the government last year, called A Greener Slovakia, which has a broad mass base. It mainly includes three aspects, including water resources, biodiversity protection, climate change, air quality protection and green economy. In addition, such a strategy also puts forward that we need to protect our national parks and forests more, because this accounts for more than 40% of our national area. It also points out that the green component of public procurement will rise to 70% by 2030. Therefore, this is also guide with a strong indicator for the government. Environmental protection education will also become a part of our formal discipline education, called the 2030 environmental strategy, which gives us a clear vision and allows us to take more account of feasibility, maximum effectiveness and best practices. I think the basic vision of 2030 is to keep quality and quantity balance. In the process of sustainable economic cycle, we will not sacrifice environmental quality.