Greenpeace called on the government to ensure the protection of natural resources. Photo: Freepik.
Prague, April 13 (CTK) – The Czech Republic yesterday passed the point where the population’s demand for natural resources outstripped the country’s capacity to renew it this year, according to Greenpeace.
In a press release, the organisation called on the government to ensure the protection of natural resources.
In response, the Environment Ministry reiterated its steps it is taking to address the climate crisis, such as phasing out coal power by 2033.
“We are taking more from nature than it can produce and renew. Until the 1970s, the planet was providing more than we needed. Since then, however, our global consumption has been growing so that we would currently need about 1.75 of the planet to meet our consumption. We are living on a debt that future generations will pay for us,” said Jan Freidinger from Greenpeace.
According to Greenpeace Energy Campaign coordinator Jaroslav Bican, carbon emissions, which cause climate change, comprise a major part of the environmental footprint. “The biggest source is the energy industry and coal burning,” Bican stressed.
“The current government, unlike previous ones, has pledged in its policy statement to create conditions for ending coal by 2033,” Bican added. “However, this commitment must not remain only on paper, which is threatened by the fact that the district mining office in Most in the Usti Region has already made a legally non-binding decision to extend the mining permit for the Bilina mine until 2035.”
Greenpeace intends to appeal this decision. The Industry and Trade Ministry said in March that the extension of the mine is not in conflict with the phasing out of coal by 2033. The government’s goal is to stop coal burning, not mining, according to the ministry.
“The crucial step is to phase out coal burning, which alone is responsible for about 40% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. By shutting down coal-fired power plants and modernising the heating industry, more than 20 million tonnes of CO2 can be saved annually by 2030,” Environment Ministry spokeswoman Lucie Jesatkova told CTK, adding that thanks to the New Green Savings programme, for example, coal consumption has fallen by about 350,000 tonnes a year over the past two years.
“This year, we are preparing major political documents, namely the State Energy Concept and the Climate Protection Policy,” said Jesatkova. “The aim of these documents is to set a path towards the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030, which means a profound transformation of the economy and especially the energy sector.”
