This country profile features selected environmental indicators from the OECD Core Set, building on harmonised datasets available on OECD Data Explorer. The indicators reflect major environmental issues, including climate, air quality, freshwater resources, waste and the circular economy, and biodiversity. Differences with national data sources can occur due to delays in data treatment and publication, or due to different national definitions and measurement methods. The OECD is working with countries and other international organisations to further improve the indicators and the underlying data.
Environment at a Glance Indicators
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Slovenia
Context
Slovenia declared independence from Yugoslavia and became a democratic republic on 25 June 1991. The country rapidly joined the international community. The narrowing of the GDP per person gap to the upper half of OECD countries has gathered pace.
Slovenia is the second smallest OECD country by size and the fourth smallest by population. It enjoys extraordinarily rich biodiversity and landscapes due to its location at the junction of several ecological systems. Slovenia’s natural endowment has been enhanced by a tradition of close-to-natural forest management and by low-intensity farming, as well as close co-operation with neighbouring countries.
Slovenia is a country not particularly endowed in fossil fuels resources. Slovenia’s only domestic fossil fuel deposits include lignite extracted at underground mine at Velenje in the north of the country. Other mineral resources include relatively small quantities of lead, zinc, mercury, uranium and silver. It imports virtually all of its oil and natural gas needs. Indigenous energy sources – in the form of domestic coal, nuclear power, hydropower, and renewables —satisfy about half of Slovenia’s energy needs.
Climate change
Energy mix
Air quality
Air emissions
Freshwater resources
Intensity of use of freshwater resources
Waste, materials and circular economy
Municipal waste
Material consumption
Biodiversity
Protected areas
References and further reading
National data on land take and Corine Land Cover are also available at: http://kazalci.arso.gov.si/en/teme/soil-and-land-use
OECD (2012), OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Slovenia 2012, OECD Environmental Performance Reviews, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264169265-en.