Slovenia National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP)

Summary

Slovenia’s National Environmental Action Programme 2020-2030 functions as the country’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) under the Convention on Biological Diversity and establishes a comprehensive policy framework for environmental protection and biodiversity conservation through 2030. The policy was originally published by the Government of Slovenia in September 2020.

Slovenia’s NBSAP integrates biodiversity objectives with broader environmental priorities, including climate change mitigation and adaptation and sustainable resource use. It recognizes that global climate change processes are “threatening all living beings in an unprecedented way”, and society is increasing becoming aware of and seeing itself as part of the environment and nature.

The protection of the environment is thus losing its anthropocentric, human-oriented nature and being replaced with an eco-centric orientation, i.e. that which focuses on nature of which people are a part. Such an approach protects the intrinsic values of nature and adapts human actions so as to maintain the natural systems and thus natural balance. As nature makes life possible, but only if its cycles follow its own rhythm and are in balance. The path of society’s development must therefore be the path of awareness that natural balance is the framework in which all human activities take place and is the basis of human development

The policy also recognizes that environmental challenges are of a systemic nature: “Slovenia and Europe have achieved a high level of prosperity in a way that is typical of practically all developed countries – with the excessive use and excessive pollution of the resources provided by the Earth.” It concludes that “Slovenia has all the resources necessary to achieve environmental and sustainable excellence and to provide current and future generations with a high-quality life, taking into account the planet’s capacities.”

Understanding the intertwining of environmental protection with social and economic processes and a shift towards an ecosystem-based development model with sustainable production and consumption are key to future environmental protection. It will be necessary to fundamentally change the systems that meet the needs of society, especially nutritional, mobility, energy and housing systems, as these have a decisive impact on the environment. Environmental protection will have to be ensured through a systemic approach and greater environmental coherence of all sectors of society, as well as an ambitious integration of environmental issues into the policies of other sectors.

Convention on Biological Diversity & Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)
In December 2022, the 15th meeting of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was held, where 188 countries – including Slovenia – adopted the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), which aims to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 and to live in harmony with nature by 2050. Parties to the Convention of Biological Diversity agreed to update their National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan with national targets to support the Global Biodiversity Framework.

Slovenia’s NBSAP emphasizes the conservation and restoration of ecosystems, particularly forests, wetlands, and protected areas within the Natura 2000 network, and prioritizes the protection of threatened species and habitats in line with European Union environmental directives. It identifies key pressures on biodiversity, including land-use change, habitat fragmentation, pollution, and invasive species, and outlines strategic measures to address these threats through spatial planning, sustainable agriculture and forestry practices, and strengthened environmental governance.

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