The Hungarian Sustainability Summit was held for the fourth time in Budapest on 20 November 2013. The first paper of the conference was delivered by Deputy State Secretary for Climate Policy Ferenc Hizó, who outlined Hungary’s challenges related to climate change.

The event called for a change in social values. Climate change is a genuine problem, of the negative consequences of which we will gain first-hand experience in years to come, unless we change our habits, the Deputy State Secretary pointed out. Periods of extreme heat may become increasingly frequent and endangered regions may be increasingly often hit by draught or floods.

The second National Climate Change Strategy (NCCS-2) commissioned by the Ministry of National Development aims to give informed responses, on Hungary’s part, to one of the greatest global challenges of the future: the consequences of climate change. NCCS-2 analyses Hungary’s situation in view of the expected impacts of climate change, reviews the targets laid down in the First National Climate Change Strategy and, as new parts, includes the National Decarbonisation Roadmap and the National Adjustment Strategy.

A sustainable future based on the mild utilisation of resources can only be achieved by reducing energy consumption demand, increasing energy efficiency and giving higher priority to renewable energies. From the development funds of the coming EU budget period of 2014-2020, the Government will continue to expressly support increasing energy efficiency, an insight into the details of which effort can also be gained from the draft operational programmes put up for social consultations.

(Ministry of National Development Communications Department)