Environmental Policies
#29Key Findings
With ecological concerns largely relegated to the background, Hungary falls into the lower-middle ranks internationally (rank 29) in the area of environmental policies. Its score on this measure has declined by 0.9 points relative to 2014.
Environmental policy has suffered from a lack of commitment, institutional fragmentation, and weak implementation and coordination. The state’s campaign against “climate hysteria” has been softened, and a goal of climate neutrality by 2050 has been set. However, unambitious interim targets raise doubts about its credibility.
Administrative burdens for solar power investments have been reduced. Weak local oversight has led to contaminated water and polluting garbage sites. The country uses substantially more energy than the EU average per unit of GDP, due to low energy prices.
“National interest” legislation has removed environmental standards for projects run by oligarchs close to the ruling party. A development rush has resulted in massive construction around lakes Balaton and Fertő, destroying natural areas. The country backed the effort to include nuclear power in the EU’s assessment of sustainable energy sources.
Environmental policy has suffered from a lack of commitment, institutional fragmentation, and weak implementation and coordination. The state’s campaign against “climate hysteria” has been softened, and a goal of climate neutrality by 2050 has been set. However, unambitious interim targets raise doubts about its credibility.
Administrative burdens for solar power investments have been reduced. Weak local oversight has led to contaminated water and polluting garbage sites. The country uses substantially more energy than the EU average per unit of GDP, due to low energy prices.
“National interest” legislation has removed environmental standards for projects run by oligarchs close to the ruling party. A development rush has resulted in massive construction around lakes Balaton and Fertő, destroying natural areas. The country backed the effort to include nuclear power in the EU’s assessment of sustainable energy sources.
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How effectively does environmental policy in your country protect and preserve the sustainability of natural resources and environmental quality?
10
9
9
Environmental policy goals are ambitious and effectively implemented as well as monitored within and across most relevant policy sectors that account for the largest share of resource use and emissions.
8
7
6
7
6
Environmental policy goals are mainly ambitious and effectively implemented and are monitored within and across some of the relevant policy sectors that account for the largest share of resource use and emissions.
5
4
3
4
3
Environmental policy goals are neither particularly ambitious nor are they effectively implemented and coordinated across relevant policy sectors.
2
1
1
Environmental concerns have been largely abandoned.
As the 2011 constitution incorporated “green” values, the constitutional basis for environmental policy in Hungary is strong. However, environmental policy under the Orbán governments has suffered from a lack of commitment, institutional fragmentation, and weak implementation and coordination. Since 2010, no independent ministry for environmental policy has existed and environmental issues have largely been dealt with by a department in the Ministry of Agriculture.
Resource efficiency is low. While Hungary has made progress in waste recycling and recovery, more than half of the country’s waste is deposited in landfill. Hungary uses substantially more energy than the EU average for a unit of GDP. This is partly due to low energy prices, especially for households.
While air quality has increased, environmental pollution in Hungary is still relatively high. Energy supply has remained largely dependent on fossil fuels. CO2 emissions declined in Hungary from 1990 to 2014, but have started to increase since 2014 as a result of using the Mátra carbon-based power station, which is owned by the influential oligarch Lőrinc Mészáros. As a result of the tight finances of municipalities and weak oversight, cases of contaminated drinking water and mismanaged garbage sites, which have poisoned local environments, have increased. While the government has softened its campaign against “climate hysteria,” its climate policy has suffered from a lack of ambition. Instead of expanding renewables, the government has for a long time argued that all problems will be solved by technological progress and has banked on the extension of the Paks nuclear power plant, a project that has been controversial both for environmental reasons and for Russian involvement. In a law passed in June 2020, Hungary set a climate neutrality goal for 2050, signaling support for the EU net zero emissions strategy, which it had originally opposed (Darby 2020). However, the three-page document was significantly watered down from a “climate emergency” declaration originally put forward by an opposition lawmaker last August. By leaving the interim target for 2030 unchanged, it has raised doubts about its credibility. More recently, however, there have been some improvements in the solar energy field, where an announced government directive aims to reduce administrative burdens for investment.
Hungary has a well-developed network of protected areas covering over 22% of its territory, exceeding the respective international target. However, the management of these protected areas suffers from a lack of resources. While progress has been made in integrating biodiversity considerations into policymaking for the agricultural, forestry and fisheries sectors, efforts to integrate biodiversity protection into energy, transportation, tourism and industry strategies have been limited. The Orbán government made panicked efforts to strengthen the economic position of the Fidesz oligarchs before the spring 2022 elections, with the frequent use of “national interest” legislation lifting environmental standards for more and more investments. The most shocking recent event has been the big development rush by the oligarchs around the lakes of Balaton and Fertő, which has involved building huge hotels that have ruined the natural environment, replacing natural lakeside areas with concrete.
Citations:
Darby, M. (2020): Hungary sets 2050 climate neutrality goal in law, issues green bond, in: Climate Home News, June 4 (https://www.climatechangenews.com/2020/06/04/hungary-sets-2050-climate-neutrality-goal-law-issues-green-bond/).
Resource efficiency is low. While Hungary has made progress in waste recycling and recovery, more than half of the country’s waste is deposited in landfill. Hungary uses substantially more energy than the EU average for a unit of GDP. This is partly due to low energy prices, especially for households.
While air quality has increased, environmental pollution in Hungary is still relatively high. Energy supply has remained largely dependent on fossil fuels. CO2 emissions declined in Hungary from 1990 to 2014, but have started to increase since 2014 as a result of using the Mátra carbon-based power station, which is owned by the influential oligarch Lőrinc Mészáros. As a result of the tight finances of municipalities and weak oversight, cases of contaminated drinking water and mismanaged garbage sites, which have poisoned local environments, have increased. While the government has softened its campaign against “climate hysteria,” its climate policy has suffered from a lack of ambition. Instead of expanding renewables, the government has for a long time argued that all problems will be solved by technological progress and has banked on the extension of the Paks nuclear power plant, a project that has been controversial both for environmental reasons and for Russian involvement. In a law passed in June 2020, Hungary set a climate neutrality goal for 2050, signaling support for the EU net zero emissions strategy, which it had originally opposed (Darby 2020). However, the three-page document was significantly watered down from a “climate emergency” declaration originally put forward by an opposition lawmaker last August. By leaving the interim target for 2030 unchanged, it has raised doubts about its credibility. More recently, however, there have been some improvements in the solar energy field, where an announced government directive aims to reduce administrative burdens for investment.
Hungary has a well-developed network of protected areas covering over 22% of its territory, exceeding the respective international target. However, the management of these protected areas suffers from a lack of resources. While progress has been made in integrating biodiversity considerations into policymaking for the agricultural, forestry and fisheries sectors, efforts to integrate biodiversity protection into energy, transportation, tourism and industry strategies have been limited. The Orbán government made panicked efforts to strengthen the economic position of the Fidesz oligarchs before the spring 2022 elections, with the frequent use of “national interest” legislation lifting environmental standards for more and more investments. The most shocking recent event has been the big development rush by the oligarchs around the lakes of Balaton and Fertő, which has involved building huge hotels that have ruined the natural environment, replacing natural lakeside areas with concrete.
Citations:
Darby, M. (2020): Hungary sets 2050 climate neutrality goal in law, issues green bond, in: Climate Home News, June 4 (https://www.climatechangenews.com/2020/06/04/hungary-sets-2050-climate-neutrality-goal-law-issues-green-bond/).
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To what extent does the government actively contribute to the design and advancement of global environmental protection regimes?
10
9
9
The government actively contributes to international efforts to design and advance global environmental protection regimes. In most cases, it demonstrates commitment to existing regimes, contributes to their being advanced and has introduced appropriate reforms.
8
7
6
7
6
The government contributes to international efforts to strengthen global environmental protection regimes. It demonstrates commitment to existing regimes and occasionally contributes to their being advanced and/or has introduced some appropriate reforms.
5
4
3
4
3
The government demonstrates commitment to existing regimes, but does not contribute to their being advanced and has not introduced appropriate reforms.
2
1
1
The government does not contribute to international efforts to strengthen global environmental protection regimes.
Hungary signed the Paris Agreement and has adhered to EU agreements. János Áder, the country’s president from 2012 to 2022 and founder of the Blue Planet Foundation, has been quite active on the international scene. As Fidesz’s “man for the environment issues,” he has praised the Orbán government’s environmental commitment and policies. The big facade event in 2021 was the Planet Budapest 2021 Sustainability Expo and Summit with participants from 120 countries from all over the world, including some heads of state, personally or online. However, the Hungarian government has opposed most attempts to strengthen the European Union’s environmental ambitions. Hungary was among the four countries that – eventually without success – tried to block the European Union’s plans to become carbon-neutral by 2050. More successful has been the country’s attempt to include nuclear power in the calculation of European climate change policies.