Energy and the environment
Bulgaria's historical emphasis on heavy industry has caused substantial damage to its environment. Specific priority environmental problems include: water, air and soil pollution; nuclear waste from mines and the power plant; solid waste management; air and water pollution coming into Bulgaria from Romania and the former Yugoslav countries; and high levels of industrial contamination rendering certain cities uninhabitable. In some areas, metal working factories have polluted the soil and water with lead, arsenic, and cadmium to an extent that the land is unusable for agriculture. Wastewater treatment facilities are frequently absent or do not operate properly. As a result, some rivers are considered dead or nearly dead. Lead from car exhaust threatens population centers. Certain mining areas have higher levels of radioactivity than some nuclear plants. Other environmental concerns are how to deal with hazardous wastes, threats to the Black Sea Coastal regions, and industrial pollutants that damage the ozone layer.
The Second National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP)
The Second National Action Plan on Climate Change contains activities, policies and measures for the period 2005-2008, concerning all sectors of Bulgarian economy: energy, industry, transport, agriculture and forestry, and services. It includes also a range of financial instruments to achieve the objectives set – the Green Investment Scheme and the EU Emission Trading Scheme.
Since the main share of the GHG emissions in Bulgaria are the energy related CO2 emissions, and this share is expected to increase further if the energy intensive production pattern is not replaced by energy-efficient options, energy is the main sector where mitigation measures are being attempted. These measures however could not be implemented unless crucial changes in the sector take place.
National strategy for the Environment and Second National Action Plan 2005-2014
The Strategy was developed for the period 2005-2014 together with an Action Plan 2005-2009. The National Strategy for the Environment is consistent with the principles of the prevention and reduction of the human health risk, integration of the environmental protection policy in the sectoral policies on the development of the economy and awareness of the citizens on the state of the environment.
CO2-Emissions
CO2-Emissions per person of Bulgaria, as compared to other countries of Central and Eastern Europe, Austria and the European Union 15, 2007
The “Energy sector” is heading the list of emission sources with the biggest share – 77 %. Sector (waste ranked the second place, and sector industrial processes ranked the third place.) This share is expected to increase further if the energy intensive production pattern is not replaced by energy-efficient options, energy is the main sector where mitigation measures are being attempted. These measures however could not be implemented unless crucial changes in the sector take place Bulgaria has signed (1992) and ratified (1995) the United Nation's Framework Convention on Climate Change. During first commitment period (2008-2012) the country has to achieve a quantified reduction of 8% of the base year 1988 emissions. [UNFCCC]
