NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE COMMITTEE

 
Slovenia signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change on 13 June 1992 at the World Summit in Rio de Janeiro and ratified it on 29 September 1995 (published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia No. 59/95, MP 13). In 1997 the Government of the Republic of Slovenia established the National Climate Change Committee (hereinafter referred to as the Climate Committee) to direct the participation of Slovene representatives in the work of Convention bodies and the fulfilment of obligations arising from the Convention. The tasks and composition of the Climate Committee are laid down in the governmental decision on the establishment of the Climate Committee, and its work is governed by its Rules of Procedure. The Climate Committee is also the authority responsible for supervising the preparation of national reports that Slovenia, as a party to the Convention, is obliged to make and submit to the Conference of the Parties. Before each meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, the Climate Committee considers the negotiating positions of Slovenia, and after the meeting it obtains information on the results of negotiations. This is particularly important in negotiations regarding the Kyoto Protocol, under which Slovenia has undertaken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 8% with regard to 1986 levels in the period from 2008 to 2012, which will be a very demanding task. Slovenia ratified the Kyoto Protocol in 2002 (published in the Official Gazette No. 60/02, MP 17). The Climate Committee works through meetings chaired by the minister for the environment and spatial planning; there have been ten regular, one correspondence and one solemn meeting so far (the latter was on 15 February 2004, a day before the entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol).

Tasks of the Climate Committee are:

• to participate in the coordination of activities implementing national policy relating to climate change and pursuing the objectives of the Convention on Climate Change;
• to participate in the preparation of proposals for Slovenia's positions for the meetings of the Conference of the Parties and Convention working bodies;
• to participate in the preparation of national reports foreseen in the Convention; and
• to deliver opinions on proposals for the national environmental protection programme and other national development programmes concerning energy, transport, agriculture and forestry that are related to Convention objectives.

Additional information:

 
Andrej Kranjc, Committee Secretary
Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning
Dunajska c. 48, 1000 Ljubljana
Tel: 1/478 7434
Fax: 1/478 7425
E-mail: andrej.kranjc(at)gov.si

Some useful links relating to climate change issues:
www.arso.gov.si
http://www.unfccc.int/
www.ipcc.ch
www.wmo.int
www.NOAA.com
www.iea.org