ZAGREB, 31 Oct (Hina) - Leena Ylä-Mononen, Executive Director of the European Environment Agency (EEA), said on Thursday that Croatia ranks eighth for the quality and availability of environmental data and is making good progress in environmental protection, despite ongoing challenges.
Ylä-Mononen noted that Croatia compares well with other EU member states, considering it is the newest member and has had a short period to implement the full EU legislative framework.
She highlighted that accelerated climate change poses particular risks for countries like Croatia, requiring a focus on climate adaptation and preparation of society and cities for changing conditions.
Croatia has made significant progress in reducing air pollution and certain waste management areas, though further work is needed, especially in transitioning the economy. Protection of nature is also a major achievement as the country has already exceeded the EU and global 2030 targets of protecting 30% of terrestrial and marine areas, safeguarding much of Europe's biodiversity.
The EEA report, presented in Croatia for the first time, reviews the state of Europe's environment and climate, tracks progress on EU strategic and policy goals, and highlights the impact of environmental degradation and climate change on populations. The presentation was organised by Croatia's Ministry of Environment and Green Transition in cooperation with the EEA, with Minister Marija Vučković attending.
Ylä-Mononen identified greenhouse gas reduction as the main challenge to achieving climate neutrality by 2050. While the energy sector has made strong progress, particularly in the green transition, emission reductions in transport and agriculture are lagging, requiring accelerated action. She also stressed the need for global coordination, as Europe contributes less than 10% of global emissions.
Vučković welcomed the recognition of Croatia's efforts, noting progress in organic farming, management of protected areas, renewable energy use, the energy transition and reduction of environmental health risks, particularly air quality. Transport emissions remain the greatest challenge, with industry also expected to make significant improvements.
She said that, through the use of funds from emissions trading (exceeding €4 billion) and other environmental, water, waste and nature-related funds, total investment in this sector in Croatia will surpass €6 billion by 2030.
