Green technologies in the Czech Republic

The Idea of a sustainable, green, economy has achieved increasing importance in the Czech Republic over the past few years. The country’s economic growth over the past two decades has led to significant environmental damage. As matters currently stand, the Czech Republic has the highest rates of greenhouse gases emission per economic output amongst all OECD countries. The government of the Czech Republic adopted, In 2010, the strategic framework for sustainable development. According to this plan, sustainability will be achieved via effective management and use of resources. Such use is to be based on principles of protection of the environment, social solidarity and economic innovation. The plan includes a number of sectors where the OECD regulations regarding environmental protection have been implemented.

As of the year 2011, the Czech Republic has implemented 27 out of 30 of the sustainability indicators determined by the OECD. One of the indicators which the Czech Republic has yet to implement is the “utilization of coal reserves”. The reason for this is that the primary source of Energy in the Czech Republic has traditionally been Coal. However, between 1990 and 2010 the coal reserves in the Czech Republic decreased by 54% and accordingly coal mining costs in the country grew and with it energy prices. Nonetheless, the government of the Czech Republic is interested in diversifying its energy sources so that a reform in the Czech Energy market takes place. The aim of this reform is to base the Czech economy on sustainable, green, energy technologies rather than irreplaceable resources such as coal.

In addition, the Strategic framework included encouragement for the implementation of sustainable policy in the cities and rural areas in the Czech Republic with an aim to reduce the environmental and economic gaps between the cities and the rural regions. For example: in the field of land use planning. Other fields included in the program are the climate changes leading to frequent floods in the Czech Republic. Accordingly the Czech Republic has introduced monitoring systems to prevent this threat.

Use of Green technologies is not the sole province of the Czech Government and environmental commitment has also trickled into companies and businesses across the country. For example the Czech Skoda Company has won, in August 2016, a prize for environmentally friendly logistical innovation which has brought about considerable reduction in the release of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. This prize was awarded to Skoda for parsimonious transportation of the cars from their factories in the Czech Republic to India to complete their production.

Another example is the Mosaic Hotel in Prague which is considered to be the “greenest” and most environmentally friendly hotel in the world. The Hotel is considered to be the biggest Water recycler in the Czech Republic and is the first hotel in the Czech Republic to make full use of electricity acquired from renewable energy sources. Furthermore, the hotel is installed with a system for the exploitation of grey water. This system is considered to be the second highest quality in the world and has won many prizes for its environmental friendly features.

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