Climate · emissions beyond borders
Since 2021, Slovenia has caused more emissions abroad than at home
Emissions from Slovenian consumption are falling, as long as they happen in Slovenia. The emissions in factories, power plants and fields elsewhere, for goods, food and buildings, are barely falling. Slovenia's Climate Act doesn't count them.
- The footprint of Slovenia is 28–35 percent higher than official emissions according to the national inventory (via Eurostat). Exactly how much depends on the model.
- 58–59 percent of the footprint arises abroad (2022), against 50–53 percent in 2010. Since 2021 it has been more than half in every model.
- Official emissions fell by 21 percent between 2010 and 2022; the footprint only by 12–13 percent.
- Per person, Slovenia causes 9.5 tonnes, more than the EU average of 9.0 tonnes (rank 9 of 27, Eurostat 2023). Between 2010 and 2019 the footprint fell by 13 percent, similar to most EU countries; between 2019 and 2023 it fell by 6 percent, slower than in most EU countries.
- Outside Slovenia, most emissions for Slovenian consumption are released in China, Russia and Germany.
- Slovenia imports more emissions than it exports: 5–7 megatonnes net in 2022. Since 2010, what it earns from foreign demand grew by 50 percent (real); the emissions for it fell by 10 percent.
In short
Emissions caused by Slovenian consumption and investment, by location
The official figure falls faster than the footprint
The figure in the news is emissions on Slovenian territory, according to the national inventory (via Eurostat). It fell by 21 percent between 2010 and 2022. The footprint fell by 12–13 percent over the same years. The official figure counts emissions for what is exported, but not for what is imported.
Slovenia compared with the other EU countries
Per person, Slovenia causes 9.5 tonnes of greenhouse gas (Eurostat, 2023), more than the EU average of 9.0 tonnes, rank 9 of 27.
Checked from space
Satellites measure how much methane hangs in the air. From that, scientists can work back to how much a country emits. That puts an independent measurement next to the official figures.
Where the emissions occur
For Slovenian consumption, most emissions abroad occur in China, followed by Russia, Germany and Italy. Pick a year or play the timeline. Click a country to see how it changed since 2010.
Who Slovenia emits for
In 2022, 6–7 megatonnes of greenhouse gases were released in Slovenia for consumption and investment in other countries. Meanwhile, 12–13 megatonnes were released elsewhere for Slovenian consumption. That makes Slovenia a net importer of emissions: 5–7 megatonnes more are released elsewhere for Slovenia than the other way round.
How we calculate
A footprint follows every euro that households, government and companies spend on final products back through the supply chain, to the country where the emissions occur. So-called input-output models do this, built on trade statistics and emission inventories from dozens of countries.