Zagreb - The impact of Croatian industry on climate change is less than 1 per cent, the Minister for Environmental Protection and the Green Transition, Marija Vučković, said in Parliament on Wednesday during a debate on the Climate Change and Ozone Layer Protection Bill.
"Croatia's contribution is less than 1 per cent. Croatia certainly does not significantly harm our environment," Vučković said in response to a question from Independent MP Nino Raspudić.
Raspudić had asked how much Croatia's industry impacts climate change and how much Croatia's relatively small industry could compensate for the United States' withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, which aims to limit global warming and combat climate change.
Vučković emphasised that while Croatia does not significantly harm the environment, it is still necessary to pay attention to the quality of the environment and nature, and to prepare for current and future events related to climate change.
She denied accusations of implementing a "green ideology" and stated that the focus is on transition measures to ensure the competitiveness of the Croatian economy.
"Statistics show that we are succeeding in this," Vučković noted.
Irrigation project in Neretva Valley
As an example, the minister cited the Neretva Valley, where over the past two months they have successfully prepared and launched tenders for two parts of a large and important irrigation project.
"The Neretva Valley is the most vulnerable to climate change. It is at risk of drying out, as confirmed by all scientists," she said.
In response to a question from Anka Mrak Taritaš (GLAS) regarding the use of land and forest land to meet the target of net carbon removal by 2030, Vučković said that Croatia is expected to achieve net carbon removal of 5,527 kilotonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030, while the current level stands at just over 4,800 kilotonnes of CO2 equivalent.
She explained that the specific circumstances of Croatia, which was exposed to aggression and fought the defensive Homeland War, have partly influenced the abandonment and regrowth of land.
Vučković stated that the bill transposes EU climate legislation from the "Fit for 55" package for 2030.
This aims to contribute to the targets that Croatia must meet in line with its international obligations and national goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the EU by 55 per cent by 2030.
The proposed law also includes provisions regarding mandatory annual reductions of greenhouse gas emissions by sector, and stipulates the adoption of decisions to define quantified values for emission reductions.
She noted that if Croatia exceeds its greenhouse gas emissions, it will incur a financial cost to purchase additional units from another member state that has not exceeded its emissions quota.