News

In recent days, from November 24 to 26, the international conference Air Protection 2025 was traditionally held in the High Tatras. The event, intended for so-called "air enthusiasts", confirmed the urgency of the problem of air quality in Slovakia and its impact on public health.

On November 11, the second meeting of the Heating and Energy Working Group took place. The basis for the discussion was a proposal for measures to improve air quality in the area of ​​household heating and energy. The meeting was also preceded by bilateral talks with members of the working group from the Ministry of Transport of the Slovak Republic and the Institute of Environmental Policy.

In early November, an international conference of the same name was held on air quality and specifically air pollution from heating, which represents a significant environmental and health challenge, especially in areas with a high share of solid fuel combustion. The conference, organized as part of the LIFE Populair project, was intended for representatives of local governments and air protection experts who are looking for effective solutions to reduce emissions and improve air quality in their regions.

The Air Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) is a strategic planning tool developed for a zone and agglomeration in which the concentration of a pollutant exceeds the limit or target value for the protection of human health and vegetation. In the Trenčín Region, the main source of air pollution is local heating with solid fuels, which results in high concentrations of BaP, PM2,5 and PM10. The subject of the program is measures to achieve good air quality in risk areas.

The Slovak Environmental Agency, as the national coordinator of the European Mobility Week (EMW), yesterday ceremoniously evaluated the ETM 2025 campaign and awarded those who, with their activities, significantly contributed to sustainable mobility in Slovakia.

At the end of September, we had the opportunity to be part of the 19th year of the largest science festival in Slovakia - the European Science Night, which brings news and information from the world of research and innovation in an inspiring and unique way. The theme of the current year was CHAOS and you could see the populair team in Banská Bystrica, Košice, Poprad, Žilina and also in Lubeník and Jelšava as part of the accompanying event Science in the Village.

On September 10, 2025, the first meeting of the Energy and Heating task force took place. It followed an initial meeting at the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic (MoE SR), organized to facilitate inter-ministerial cooperation on air protection, initiated by the LIFE IP – Air Quality Improvement project (Populair). The task force’s task is to identify areas beyond the competencies of the environment ministry and develop solutions to improve air quality for the health of Slovak citizens and to comply with international obligations.

September 7 marks International Day of Clean Air. On this day, UN member states draw attention to measures for improving air quality. The common goal is to enhance living conditions for residents and minimize the negative effects of air pollution on health and the environment. This year’s slogan, “Racing for Air”, emphasizes the need to accelerate solutions and take joint action to ensure clean air for everyone.

Following the successful campaigns “Spin Away Waste” and “Climate Yourself”, the Slovak Environmental Agency (SEA) is launching a new educational campaign in September called “Something hangs in the Air”, aimed at individuals, schools, and teachers. The campaign, focused on air protection, was developed in cooperation with the LIFE Populair team.

The Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMI), in cooperation with the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic, has launched a statistical survey focused on the traffic behavior of Slovak residents. The aim of the survey is to collect input data necessary to improve the emission inventory of selected pollutants and greenhouse gases from the transport sector. The survey is conducted as part of the LIFE IP – Air Quality Improvement project.