10 December 2009 - Ministry's Response on Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Plans and on Today’s ‘Fossil of the Day Award’ in Copenhagen

At the 15th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC which is taking place in Copenhagen from 7th to 18th December 2009, the initial negotiation goal for greenhouse gas emissions of Croatia as an independent state is 33,2 MtCO2-eq. in the period 2013-2020. This is a reduction by 5% compared to the emission levels in the base year 1990, with Decision 7/CP.12 by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention taken into account. This is a temporary goal of the Republic of Croatia until the accession to the European Union, when Croatia will accept its commitments in accordance with the European Union commitments, which will then amount to 20% or more.

It is obvious that Croatia does not request to be allowed to increase emissions by 6% as the 'Green Action' NGO persistently repeats. Croatia is prepared to accept its share of commitments, but requests to be treated equally in this matter with other countries. Croatia has for a long time been fighting for a more just assessment of emissions in the base year 1990, i.e. that in an approximate amount the emissions be taken into account from thermal power plants into which Croatia had to invest but which were built outside its territory - in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Serbia. Finally, this right was recognized to Croatia at the Nairobi Conference in 2006. We have learned from the media that NGOs have awarded to Croatia, alongside with Canada the ‘Fossil of the Day Award’ because of its demand to revise the base year 1990. It is quite possible that it is the misinformation spread by 'Green Action' to which we owe this award.