Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) and, left, newly appointed Minister of the Environment Petr Hladík (KDU-ČSL) at a press conference, March 10, 2023, Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic, Prague.
Prague – Within two years, the government will support a total of 200,000 photovoltaic devices on roofs, double the target in the program statement. Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) said this at today's press conference after the inauguration of the new Minister of the Environment, Petr Hladík (KDU-ČSL). According to him, last year the ministry approved support for domestic and large photovoltaic power plants in the amount of 14 billion crowns.
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Hladík considers it crucial, among other things, to help municipalities and cities with the application of community energy. In general, the path to zero-emission energy is nuclear and renewables, he said. He also stated that during Fialo's government, thanks to subsidy titles, Czech residents could save 350,000 tons of coal, which is the equivalent of 2.2 billion crowns.
The Ministry is preparing to expand the terms of the subsidy program to support energy savings New green savings. He wants to expand the support to include investments in apartment buildings, the possibility of switching from gas sources to renewable energy sources or the provision of state loans for investments. This year, the resort wants to launch another wave of boiler subsidies in the regions of the Czech Republic to replace older boilers in vulnerable households.
Fiala reminded that the authority also launched the Just Transformation subsidy program, where over 40 billion crowns are available to address the negative impacts of the shift away from coal in the most affected regions, i.e. in the Ústecký, Karlovy Vary and Moravian-Silesian regions. According to the prime minister, thanks to the program, for example, schools can get money for better internet connections or modernization of classrooms. Hladík is planning to visit the regions in the coming weeks.
The prime minister considers the protection of underground and surface water resources, legislative regulation to deal with ecological accidents or preparation of back-up of beverage containers to be other tasks of the department.
Hladík also mentioned soil protection. He believes that there are already enough logistics and large shopping centers in the Czech Republic and they should not be built on the most valuable land. “In the remaining two and a half years, we can expand the most valuable protected areas by up to 25 percent,” said the minister. According to him, the protected landscape areas of Soutok and Ore Mountains and Křivoklátsko National Park should be declared. He also places emphasis on the circular economy.
Today, the day after assuming the post of head of state, President Petr Pavel appointed KDU-ČSL vice-chairman Hladík as minister. The previous president, Miloš Zeman, rejected the appointment at the beginning of the year, which the People's Party described as unconstitutional. The government has not been complete since the beginning of November, when Anna Hubáčková (for KDU-ČSL) left the Ministry of the Environment for health reasons. The resort was temporarily led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Marian Jurečka (KDU-ČSL).
After the press conference, a dozen environmental activists waited for Hladík in front of the ministry, from whom he received the painting. He promised that he would be happy to hear their arguments and they would meet regularly.
