Climate crisis is fact, Slovenia must help its farmers – President Pahor

The temperature in Slovenia is rising two times faster compared to the global average, so the government must help the agricultural sector, as it is among the most affected ones, Slovenia’s President Borut Pahor said in a speech at the opening ceremony of the 59th international Fair of Agriculture and Food – AGRA.

Borut Pahor said it is necessary to be aware that the climate crisis is a fact. He added everybody must accept the latest findings that the environment is in a worse state than expected.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said earlier this month that global warming would likely hit 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2040.

Slovenia is warming up two times faster than the world average

Pahor, however, claimed the threshold would be exceeded by 2030. “Let me remind you that we didn’t believe we would reach the level before 2050,” he said and added Slovenia is experiencing a rise in temperature that is two times faster than the average.

The findings have concrete consequences and, in fact, the greatest impact will be on human health and on agriculture, he added.

The debate about agriculture and rural areas should focus on adapting to climate change

Therefore, the debate about agriculture and rural areas should focus on adapting and finding solutions for agriculture so that the sector doesn’t contribute to climate change but that it mitigates it, in Pahor’s view.

He said he expects that the country’s experts will prepare proposals and recommendations for farmers.

Financial incentives from European Union funds and the state budget should primarily be intended for adaptation to climate change, Pahor said.