In relation to climate change, the priority will be the revision of climate and energy legislation, i.e. the Fit for 55 legislative package. The package will include a comprehensive set of measures (a revision of the EU Emissions Trading System, a regulation on effort-sharing between EU Member States, CO₂ emission standards for vehicles, the adequate regulation of land use, changes to land use and forestry) to achieve the increased EU climate target of at least a 55% net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. This is the path to achieving the long-term objective of making the EU the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 in a balanced manner. The Slovenian Presidency will begin the debate on this package, trying to identify as many outstanding issues as possible and find balanced solutions through compromise. In addition to the urgent emission reduction measures in various economic sectors, a relevant legal framework is needed to provide EU Member States with financial resources for the green transition. At the global level, the Slovenian Presidency will coordinate positions and represent the EU’s ambitions at the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Climate Change (COP26), which will be held in Glasgow from 31 October to 12 November 2021. In formulating the mandate, particular attention will be paid to seeking an agreement that would enable the EU to assume a leading role and a united front in the negotiations on the achievement of the objectives of the Paris Agreement, thus contributing to global climate neutrality. At COP26, the Slovenian Presidency will work towards finalising the rulebook for the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

As part of building a circular economy, the Slovenian Presidency will seek to reach an agreement on a general approach to the legislative act on batteries, with which the EU pursues the life-cycle approach for products and responds to the challenges of increased battery use. The revision of the Waste Shipment Regulation will also help to reduce waste and improve the exploitation of secondary raw materials, namely by way of reducing the export of waste from the EU and facilitating the shipment of waste for recycling within the EU. The Slovenian Presidency aims to use political debate to pave the way for further negotiations in this area.

Regarding biodiversity, the Slovenian Presidency will encourage efforts towards an ambitious post-2020 global biodiversity framework for the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15), which will be held in Kunming, China. The aim of the conference is to set new global biodiversity targets and strengthen their implementation. At the EU level, efforts will be concentrated on reducing biodiversity loss through measures to restore ecosystems and other measures under the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. Pollinators play a particularly important role in the EU’s efforts to conserve biodiversity, which is why the causes of their decline must also be addressed.