Climate change and civil protection

Although a lush and green country, Slovenia is no stranger to pollution and the effects of climate change. The damages of the 2023 floods and restoration efforts amount to the equivalent of 16% of GDP and in 2024, Slovenia barely escaped equivalent torrential rainfalls which struck our northern neighbours. Whether heatwaves, floods and even earthquakes - prevention and mitigation are becoming critical if we want to preserve our livelihoods in a world affected by climate change and certain to surpass the 1.5⁰ global warming threshold for ensuring our planet remains habitable.

Our efforts must go hand in hand with reducing our ecological footprint. Air pollution accounts for 240.000 deaths globally per year and while maybe only a small part can be attributed to Slovenia, we are especially affected geographically and due to our overreliance on vehicle based transports and remaining firewood heating.

Finally, prevention requires knowledge among the general population. Slovenia has a tradition of volunteer firefighters and we should facilitate these infrastructures becoming a civil “line of defence” or “lifeline” in case of future natural disasters or catastrophes. 

Volt Slovenia proposes:

Air pollution

• Provide financial incentives to replace the remaining coal and wood stoves with cleaner heating and invest into reliable grid expansion to reduce air pollution in rural communities.

• Offer free public transport and incentivize working from home during days with air pollution above a threshold.

• Install air quality meters similar to speed meters that display the air quality level to raise awareness in the population.

• Introduce a bike allowance for going to work by bike similar to the Netherlands, Belgium and France which a tax-deduction per kilometer cycled to work.

• Follow Norway and significantly reduce the sale of new diesel and fuel cars within the next decade while providing incentives for investment into the charging infrastructure required for electric cars.

Environmental protection

• Invest into landscape management as means to prevent forest fires - including using livestock grazing and other means to clear forests of fuels and manage vegetation, ensuring accessibility of forest roads and a healthy mix of forests.

• Build up an early warning system for forest fires using swarms of drones to monitor forests not only for fires, but also for illegal logging activities.

Prevention

• Introduce earthquake resistance assessment and a seismic grading similar to Japan for new and existing buildings and support upgrading existing structures to reach at least a minimum level of resistance to earthquakes while ensuring that civil infrastructure can withstand major quakes.

• Continue efforts to secure waterways and surroundings against extreme rainfall and flooding, including planning for adequate retention capacities and maintenance of riverbeds. Vienna showed in 2024 how long term planning and investments effectively protect against 1000 year floods. Ljublajan and other cities should have similar safety systems.

• Tighten construction regulations in high risk zones. We should minimize future risks for life and property by continuously adapting where and how to construct.

Civil protection

• Introduce severe weather exercises in schools (flooding, fire, earthquake) which are common practice in schools in the United States.

• Support the Civilna zaščita to offer courses in climate change preparedness similar to first aid courses. Citizens should learn how to react, avoid safety hazards and how to help. Provide incentives for the general population to participate in these courses and become actively involved in any of the volunteer associations (fire fighters, civil protection, etc)

• Ensure our emergency services are also deployable to neighbouring countries and other EU member states. We need to prepare to combine and coordinate our efforts in case needed.

(version 2025-02)