Country Review

CZECH REPUBLIC

Protection of the climate system of the Earth is a top-priority environmental issue in the Czech Republic (CR). It’s included in the Resolution No. 187/2004 of the Government of the CR and also in the State Environmental Policy (2001). The Czech Republic has committed itself to reduce its GHG emissions by 8% from the base year (the emissions in 1990 for CO2) in the first commitment period (2008 – 2012) of the Kyoto Protocol. Moreover, there is also a national target, in which the CR declares its attempt to reduce GHG emissions for 2005 even by 20% compared to the year 1990. For the next commitment periods, further emission reductions are envisaged and so the development and application of new advanced technologies (including CO2 capture and storage) is highly desirable.

The total CO2 emissions in the CR were about 128 million tonnes in 2000 which represent more than 20 % reduction in comparison with the year 1990. This reduction is much higher than in the EU which is caused especially by the industry reclassification in the first part of the 1990s. Since 1995, further reduction was caused by the implemented government policy and measures. Notwithstanding this emissions reduction in the 1990s, some relative indicators show very high CO2 emission figures for the CR, e. g. emissions per capita (12,45 t) or emissions per kWh of heat & energy produced. It’s mainly due to the massive use of brown coal for energy and heat production and to the low energy efficiency of the industry. Fossil fuels combustion represents more than 75 % of electric energy production. This is another reason why it is very important to reduce CO2 emissions in the CR.

GHG emission inventories in the CR are carried out according to the standard IPCC methodology and the results are submitted annually to the UN FCCC Secretariat in standard formats. The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI) is responsible for GHG emission inventory preparation in the CR. The results of the National Allocation Plan (prepared by CHMI & the Ministry of Environment) make it possible to locate big CO2 emission sources and determine their CO2 production.

Sufficient geological information on the whole area of the CR is available, mainly in databases and archives of Czech Geological Survey, to enable the assessment of suitable geological structures, especially sedimentary basins, with respect to their CO2 storage potential. Some other supporting topics like ECBMR or EOR can be taken into account as well.