KAZALCI OKOLJA

Environmental indicators in Slovenia


Environmental indicators are based on graphs, maps and assessments and as such present environmental trends in Slovenia. The indicators represent one of the four pillars of our environmental reporting, and are prepared in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act. The Environmental Indicators in Slovenia website enables users to browse among 180 indicators. They are based on numerical data and they indicate the state, characteristics and trends of environmental development in Slovenia. They are prepared using a systematic approach based on data and monitoring, as shown in the information pyramid.

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Good
Air

Concentrations of nitrogen dioxide and total nitrogen oxides in ambient air do not exceed the prescribed limit values. Consequently, they are not harmful for human health and vegetation.

Neutral

The total use of plant protection products (PPPs) in Slovenia has decreased by nearly two-thirds over the past 30 years — from 2,031 tons in 1992 to 733 tons in 2024. Because of the large share of permanent crops, PPP use per hectare in Slovenia remains relatively high, but comparable to other EU countries with a similar production structure. Over the last decade, Slovenia has significantly reduced the intensity of PPP use on utilised arable land and permanent crops: from an average of 6.57 kg/ha in 2000–2010 to only 3.63 kg/ha in 2024.

Good

The response of agricultural holdings to the agricultural policy and favourable market opportunities, which support the spreading of organic farming has been growing every year. The area intended for organic farming has increased in the period 1999–2023 from 2,400 ha to 54,602 ha, or from 0.5% to 11.4% of the total utilised agricultural area. The structure of agricultural land with organic farming is strongly dominated by grassland (78% in 2023), which shows that livestock farms more frequently convert to organic farming.

Bad

Among the statistical regions of Slovenia, the Osrednjeslovenska region has the highest ecological footprint per capita (5.8 gha), while the Goriška region has the lowest (4.79 gha). The largest share of the ecological footprint in all regions is represented by the carbon footprint, contributing approximately 60%. A significant portion is also attributed to forest products (around 20%) and agricultural land (around 10%). The region with the highest biocapacity per capita is Primorsko-notranjska (8.02 gha), while Osrednjeslovenska has the lowest (1.11 gha).

Bad

Trends in annual precipitation are not as obvious as temperature trends. Changes between years and differences between regions are significant. According to climate change projections, annual precipitation will increase slightly while changes in seasonal precipitation will be more noticeable. Summer conditions are the most worrying, because less precipitation and higher temperature might result in higher frequency of droughts. In winter, more precipitation may lead to an increase in flooding events.

Neutral

Comparison of periods 1961–1990 and 1991–2020 on the chosen representative stations around Slovenia shows decrease of heating degree days by around 10 % and multiple increase of cooling degree days. With projected continuous temperature raise until the end of 21st century, those trends are expected to continue. Thus, in Slovenia, energy demand for cooling will increase in the warmer period of the year, while the energy demand for heating will decrease in colder period of the year. Same trend is projected for Europe in general.