Topic: 2025 – Impact of Climate Change on Air Quality
Country: Slovenia
Delegate Name: Mason A Jones
Air pollution is one of the biggest environmental health risks of our time. Due to factors like wildfires, vehicle emissions, and cookstones, 99% of the world’s population breathes unsafe air. Globally, if we do not improve air quality around the world, many health risks would increase for humans, and climate change will worsen.
As a country, Slovenia struggles with good air quality. Our capital, Ljubljana, is becoming one of the most polluted cities in all of Europe. For example, the number of deaths from air pollution in 2022 was 1,280, which was up by 90 compared to the year before. The main factors of air pollution in Slovenia are PM10 and PM2.5 particles in the air from car emissions, industrial emissions, and household fuel. In the winter, the exposure to these particles is worse because of emissions from heating, traffic and cars, and industry emission. Additionally, because of the cold dense air of the winter, the particles stay longer in the air. This makes the air quality worse and harms more populated cities like Ljubljana. As of 2024, we have adopted a new program to monitor air pollution and set stricter limits on uses of products that will worsen our air quality, but we are still in the process of reaching our goals on pollution restrictions.
The UN views climate change and air pollution as two very dangerous crises that often overlap. Because of factors like greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide, the temperatures tend to rise, ultimately heating the climate. Due to high temperatures, the heat can cause air mass to hover over an area for a longer period of time, worsening the air that has already been polluted. Optimistically, since climate change and air pollution are so interlinked, improving one of the issues will improve the other. For example, if we start reducing the use of highly potent chemicals into the atmosphere it can significantly reduce the chances of global warming, and will lessen the chances of bad air quality. Another example is shifting to renewable energy, which will decrease the amount of chemical particles being released into the air.
Slovenia believes that the United Nations should put more focus on the dangers and solutions for climate change and air quality. Thinking of new strategies or enforcing regulations will help improve air quality and decrease health risks, benefiting the healthspan of Slovenians.
Works Cited
Air Pollution and Climate Change: Two Sides of the Same Coin, www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/air-pollution-and-climate-change-two-sides-same-coin. Accessed 26 Nov. 2025.
Beat Pollution, www.unep.org/beatpollution/forms-pollution/air. Accessed 26 Nov. 2025.
“How Are Air Pollution and Climate Change Connected?” Environmental Defense Fund, 17 Mar. 2025, www.edf.org/health/how-are-our-air-and-climate-connected.
Staznanost: Air Pollution in Slovenia among the Worst in EU, znanost.sta.si/3386258/air-pollution-in-slovenia-among-the-worst-in-eu. Accessed 26 Nov. 2025.
