Record planetary warming, rising sea levels, melting glaciers, heat waves and droughts, drastic flooding and animal die-offs are all caused by human activity, especially the extraction and burning of fossil fuels, scientists agree in a new report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Slovakia produces the most cars per capita in the world. In the near future, however, the automotive industry will have to undergo a profound transformation. In addition to the simultaneous processes of decarbonisation and automation, new proposals from the European Commission will accelerate the shift of production towards electric cars or batteries. Despite the unquestionable trends in Slovakia, there is a lack of concrete plans and ideas on how to transform the local automotive industry. Plans for the transformation of regions with a high dependence on car production are also lacking.

The cheapest energy is that which is not produced, politicians and experts agree. The Slovak government wants to achieve emissions and energy savings by renovating thirty thousand family homes and thousands of public buildings using the Renewal and Resilience Plan and new EU funds.

We are paying a huge price for fossil fuels today in the form of the climate crisis. At the same time, we are dependent on imports from third countries. According to the European Commission, the energy price crisis is a signal to accelerate the development of renewable energy sources (RES) and reduce consumption.

If Slovakia wants to maintain its current level of industrial production, it must innovate. Investment decisions need to be made today, for which stable regulatory and legislative conditions are essential.