Environment at a Glance Indicators

Czechia

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, biodiversity, and selected policy responses to these issues. 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.

Context

Czechia is a landlocked Central European country with a small trade-oriented economy that enjoyed strong economic growth after the 2008 financial crisis and whose rebounded well after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the level of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per person remains below the OECD average. Czechia is among the most industrialised OECD countries with focus on metallurgy, engineering, automobiles, electronics, chemistry, food and beverage processing, and production of glass, medicines, textile and paper. Since 2000, the contribution of the automotive industry in value added increased, while the share of more energy-intensive subsectors such as metal, wood and paper products decreased.

Although population density is above the OECD average, Czechia is among the least urbanised countries in the OECD, partly owing to suburbanisation (a rising share of urban population resides in suburban areas) over the last decades.

The Bohemian Massif (Česká vysočina) makes up much of the country’s 78 864 km² area. Almost 45% of the territory is dedicated to agriculture while forests cover 35%. Czechia is a unitary state with three government levels: central, regional and municipal. The country’s mineral resources include black and brown coal, kaolin and other clays, and graphite. Freshwater resources are less abundant than in other OECD countries.

Climate change

Per person intensities of both production-based and demand-based CO₂ emissions (footprint) are above the OECD Europe average. This is due to the predominance of fossil fuels in the energy mix and the importance of trade in the economy. Nevertheless, Czechia has decoupled energy-related CO₂ emissions from the economic growth. The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and associated reduction in activity and consumption led to a further decline (-8%) of emissions in 2020.

Since 2000, GHG emissions from energy industries have declined, mainly due to the decreasing share of fossil fuels in the energy mix and to gains in energy efficiency. The drop in emissions from manufacturing and construction was mainly driven by industrial restructuring and the adoption of more efficient technologies, accentuated by the economic crisis (2008-10). The decrease in emissions from heating in households and commercial buildings was driven by a shift in heating fuels from coal to natural gas and renewables, more efficient heating technology and, more recently, energy savings from improved performance in buildings. However, emissions from transport almost doubled, reflecting growing volume and the increasing predominance of road. Improved technology and a decline in livestock numbers were the main drivers for the reduction of GHG emissions from agriculture. Meanwhile, land use, land use change and forestry, which used to act as a net sink became a net source of GHG emissions in 2018, and emissions from waste management continue to increase.

Energy mix

With its reliance on heavy industry, Czechia is one of the most energy-intensive economies in the OECD. For decades, domestic coal helped the country be less dependent on imported natural gas; indigenous brown coal, of fairly low quality, was the main source of energy in the 1990s. Although nuclear power and renewable energy sources have gradually replaced coal in the energy mix, fossil fuels remain dominant. Since 2000, renewables have almost tripled in the energy supply and quadrupled in electricity production. Energy intensity declined due to improved energy efficiency and to the industrial restructuring towards less energy-intensive industries.

Air quality

Air emissions

Since 2000, emissions from most major air pollutants have decreased and decoupled from economic growth, mainly due to reduced production levels in power stations and in manufacturing during the economic crisis (2008-10). Other factors that played a role were stricter regulation, the decline in fossil fuels in the electricity mix, desulphurisation of coal-fired power plants and the use of low-sulphur fuels. The reduction in nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions from transport resulted from a gradual modernisation of the vehicle fleet. Carbon monoxide (CO) emission intensities are above the OECD average but that of Non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC) are well below.

Czechia reached its 2020 Gothenburg Protocol objectives for sulphur dioxide (SO₂), NO_x, NMVOC and ammonia (NH₃) emissions.

The Czech population is among the most affected by outdoor air pollution in the OECD. Although mean population exposure to PM_2.5 concentrations declined since 2000, it remains above the new guideline value of 5 µg/m³ recommended by the World Health Organization in all regions.

Freshwater resources

Use of freshwater resources

Freshwater resources are less abundant than in other OECD countries. Vulnerability to drought is due to the fact that precipitations are the main source of freshwater resources. However, water stress remains moderate thanks to below-average abstraction levels. Abstractions for public supply decreased due to the increase of the water price that led to lower water consumption by households, and to reduced water loss in the pipe network.

Public investment in the extension and renewal of wastewater collection systems and treatment plants helped increase the share of population connected to public sewage treatment plants. Most (75%) wastewater is treated in plants with tertiary (“advanced”) treatment.

Waste, materials and circular economy

Municipal waste

Municipal waste generation per person increased in line with GDP and reached the EU average (data show breaks in time series due to changes in methodology in 2004 and 2017). Amounts sent to recovery (recycling, composting and incineration with energy recovery) increased considerably, landfilling remains however the most common waste treatment method; it accounts for half of municipal waste treated.

Material consumption

Czechia has relatively few natural resources and is highly dependent on imports for many strategic raw materials and commodities. Other than biological resources, the material resource base is composed of industrial minerals (such as kaolin, feldspar, bentonite and glass sand) and construction materials. The main domestic energy resources are brown coal and, to a lesser extent, hard coal, natural gas and crude oil. However, the country is highly dependent on imports of oil, natural gas and metallic minerals, and some industrial minerals. Domestic material consumption (DMC) per person decreased partly because of the 2008-09 financial crisis, which led to reduced economic output. From 2013, with the economic recovery, material consumption started to rise again. The material footprint (including raw materials embodied in international trade) is higher and has returned to pre-crisis levels.

The materials mix is characterised by high shares of construction materials and, although declining, fossil energy carriers (mainly coal).

Biodiversity

Czechia has a relatively wide range of animal and plant species and habitats thanks to its location at the intersection of four bio-geographical sub provinces (Hercynian, Polonian, Western Carpathian and North Pannonian), its geological diversity and traditional farming methods, which created a rich mosaic of habitats. The country is home to more than 5 100 plants species, 50 000 invertebrate species and about 390 vertebrate species. About one-third of species are categorised in the Czech red list as vulnerable and hundreds have disappeared. Species are increasingly threatened by intensive agriculture, introduction of invasive alien species and loss of semi-natural biotopes to landscape exploitation. The most endangered species are found in natural watercourses or tied to a mosaic of landscape elements (butterflies, amphibians and reptiles).

Protected areas

Protected areas cover 22% of the territory. This is above the OECD average and the 2020 Aichi targets (under the Convention on Biological Diversity) to protect at least 17% of land area. However, only a limited number of sites have strict management objectives (IUCN categories I and II). About 9.6% of the country’s land is covered by protected areas that have had management effectiveness assessments. Protected Area Management Effectiveness (PAME) evaluations, can be defined as: “the assessment of how well protected areas are being managed – primarily the extent to which management is protecting values and achieving goals and objectives" (Hockings et al. 2006).

Policy instruments

This section shows selected policy instruments based on data available for most OECD countries and does not provide a complete overview of countries’ policy mix to achieve their environment-related objectives. Interpretation should consider the country specific context.

Environmentally-related taxation

The share of environmentally-related tax revenue in GDP has steadily declined since 2010, from just over 2.5% to 1.8% in 2022, in line with the OECD-Europe average, but above the OECD average. Taxes on energy products account for the bulk of this revenue, while taxes related to transport (excluding fuels) generate relatively low revenue. Despite new taxes on energy products, the environmental tax burden in the economy has continued to decline.

Government support to fossil fuels and effective carbon rates (ECR)

Czechia implicitly supports the consumption of fossil fuels through favourable tax treatments, such as exemptions from the energy tax targeting certain fuels (e.g. natural gas, solid fuels or oil products) for qualified purposes (i.e. heating, agriculture, certain industrial use) and the refunds of excises taxes for diesel fuel used for agricultural purposes. The bulk of direct transfers are granted to mining companies to fund environmental remediation programmes and to provide social benefits support to the affected workforce. New programs implemented over the last couple of years followed the same patterns as before, i.e. tax exemptions and transfers to targeted sectors or utilities. 

Like many other EU countries, Czechia puts a price on GHG emissions via energy taxes and participation in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). Overall, 72% of emissions are priced; only 15.8% are priced above 120 EUR/tonne of CO₂. These shares increase to 86% and 18.9% respectively, when excluding emissions from the combustion of biomass, meaning that most emissions from biomass are less taxed.

Technology and innovation

Czechia is an average eco-innovation performer. Since the mid-2000s, the shares of public budget devoted to environment has fallen, to then stabilise at around 2% in the last few years. In terms of R&D on energy, less than 10% is devoted to renewable energy. The number of patent applications on climate change mitigation and environmental management, filed for protection in at least two jurisdictions by Czech inventors, remains stable at around 100 per year, a relative low number. The share of environmentally-related patent applications in total patents is however in line with the OECD average, at around 10-15%.

Environment-related official development assistance (ODA)

Czechia’s development co-operation focuses on contributing to reducing global poverty, fragility and inequality while also promoting its national interests: strengthened security and economic diplomacy through stronger political, trade and investment relations. Czechia promotes the humanitarian-development-peace nexus in both its bilateral and multilateral development support. Czechia’s total official development assistance (ODA) (USD 1.051 billion) increased in 2022 due to support to Ukraine and in-donor refugee costs. It represents 0.38% of gross national income (GNI). In 2020-21, Czechia committed 22.5% of its total bilateral allocable aid (USD 17.3 million) in support of the environment and the Rio Conventions (Development Assistance Committee – DAC countries’ average of 34.3%), up from 21.1% in 2018-19. Five per cent of screened bilateral allocable aid focused on environmental issues as a principal objective, compared with the DAC average of 11.3%. Eleven per cent of total bilateral allocable aid (USD 8.3 million) focused on climate change overall (the DAC average was 29%), down from 11% in 2018-19. Czechia had a greater focus on adaptation (8.2%) than on mitigation (5.2%) in 2020-21. Six per cent of total bilateral allocable aid (USD 4.2 million) focused on biodiversity (compared with the DAC average of 6.5%), up from 4.4% in 2018-19.

References and further reading

CBD (2024), Country profiles: Czech Republic, https://www.cbd.int/countries/profile/?country=cz

OECD (2023), OECD Inventory of Support Measures for Fossil Fuels: Country Notes, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/5a3efe65-en

OECD (2023), "Czech Republic", in Development Co-operation Profiles, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/2dcf1367-en.

OECD (2022), OECD Economic Outlook, Volume 2022 Issue 1, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/62d0ca31-en.

OECD (2018), OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Czech Republic 2018, OECD Environmental Performance Reviews, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264300958-en.

IEA (2021), Czech Republic 2021 Energy Policy Review, IEA Energy Policy Reviews, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/fd01b443-en.

UNEP-WCMC (2024), “Protected Area Profile for Czech Republic”, the World Database of Protected Areas, www.protectedplanet.net