About us

Department of Emissions and Biofuels is a part of the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute responsible for the greenhouse gas and air pollutants emissions and projections inventories and coordinating the National Inventory System in Slovakia.

Reporting of greenhouse gases emissions and air pollutants has been carried out at the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (the SHMU) since the beginning of the 1990s. However, after accessing of Slovakia to the European Union in 2004, these activities have been reached the appropriate legal and professional framework. Implementation of European Law required changes in the level of institutional arrangement in the reporting and data submitting to international organizations. In response to that, individual organization unit – the Department of Emissions and Biofuels (OEaB) was established on 1st January 2017 by a change in the organizational structure of the SHMU. This Department consists of nine emission experts.

Our team

So far, the most difficult and the most prestigious test of qualification of our experts was a participation in challenging work within the Presidency of the Slovak Republic to the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2016, during which three our experts participated in prestigious Climate Change Conference in Marrakesh.

In 2017, our team won the award for the best-looking Informative inventory report on air pollutant emissions under CLRTAP. In 2023, we managed to not only repeat this success, but also surpass it, when we were awarded for the most comprehensive report. This award represents the culmination of many years of work and determination of our team and is not only a confirmation of the quality of our work, but also an encouragement for the future. It motivates us to continue our work on improving our reporting.

Best-looking award
Most comprehensive award

In 2021, Department of Emissions and Biofuels, as the only organizational unit within the SHMU, obtained a protocol on the implementation of process documentation of compliance with the Code of Practice for European Statistics, which is the basis of the common quality framework of the European Statistical System and can be the only one institution with permission to provide emissions statistics directly to the Eurostat.

In addition to our usual work, we are also engaged in science, research and innovation, and the list of our publications is long. Our most interesting publications include:

  1. Filčák, R.; Považan, R.; Adamec, M.; Dokupilová, D.; Chrenko, M.; Izakovičová, Z.; Kadlečík, J.; Szemesová, J.; Špulerová, J.; Šťastný, P.: Scenáre vývoja v životnom prostredí 2020+ udržateľný rast, biodiverzita a zmeny klímy. ©Bratislava: Centrum spoločenských a psychologických vied, Slovenská akadémia vied, organizačná zložka Prognostický ústav SAV. Online: http://www.enviroportal.sk/uploads/files/Spravy/Scenare-2020.pdf.
  2. Szemesová, J.; Tonhauzer K.: Implementácia mitigačných opatrení a ich potenciál pre znižovanie emisií v poľnohospodárstve. 2018. Meteorologický časopis, Slovenský hydrometeorologický ústav.
    Online: http://www.shmu.sk/File/ExtraFiles/MET_CASOPIS/MC_2018-1.pdf.
  3. Horváth, J., Zetochová, L., Szemesová, J.: Šrotovať či nešrotovať: Alebo o tom, či sú dotácie na šrotovné áut a elektromobilitu účinné? Konferencia Ochrana ovzdušia 2018, Zborník. Kongres STUDIO, spol. s r. o.
  4. Horváth, J., Zetochová, L., Szemesová, J.: Scrapping or not scrapping: About effectivity of grants for car scrapping and electromobility? Transport Air Pollution Conference Greece, 2019.
  5. Tonhauzer, K.; Szemesová, J.: Mitigation measures for ammonia emissions reduction from agriculture in the Slovak Republic. Conference NCGG8 11-14.6.2019, Amsterdam, Holandsko. Online: https://www.ncgg.info/ncgg8/proceedings.
  6. Krtková, E.; Danielik, V.; Szemesová, J.; Tarczay, K.; Kis-Kovács, G.; Neužil, V.: Non-energy use of fuels in the greenhouse gas emission reporting. MDPI. 2019. Online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/10/7.
  7. Tonhauzer, K.; Tonhauzer, P.; Szemesová, J.; Šiška, B.: Estimation of N2O Emissions from Agricultural Soils. Atmosphere 2020, 11(6), 552; Online: https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11060552.
  8. Horváth, J.; Szemesová, J.; Zetochová, L.: Štatistické odchýlky v údajoch o motorových palivách. Slovenská štatistika a demografia. 2021. Online: https://ssad.statistics.sk/SSaD/index.php/statisticke-odchylky-v-udajoch-o-motorovych-palivach/.
  9. Szemesová, J.; Zemko, M.; Petraš, M.; Frankovič, B.: Vyhodnotenie štatistického zisťovania o spaľovacích zariadeniach a spotrebe palív v domácnostiach. Slovenská štatistika a demografia. 2021. Online: https://ssad.statistics.sk/SSaD/index.php/vyhodnotenie-statistickeho-zistovania-o-spalovacich-zariadeniach-a-spotrebe-paliv-v-domacnostiach/.
  10. Horváth, J.; Szemesová, J.; Zetochová, L.: Roadmap to zero carbon road transport. Proceedings of the 24th international transport and air pollution (TAP) conference. 2022. Online: https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/ca02b6fe-8e0c-11ec-8c40-01aa75ed71a1/language-en.
  11. Horváth, J.; Tonhauzer, K.: How to rebuild Slovak Agriculture and Transport to a sustainable future? ICOS Science Conference 2022. Online: https://www.icos-cp.eu/sites/default/files/2022-09/Book%20of%20Abstracts_V4.pdf.
  12. Tonhauzer, K.; a kol.: The Emission from Rabbits Breeding in Slovakia. MDPI. 2023. Online: https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13081468.
  13. Horváth, J.; Szemesová, J.: Is a Carbon-Neutral Pathway in Road Transport Possible? A Case Study from Slovakia. MDPI. 2023. Online: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/16/12246.
  14. Horváth, J.; Szemesová, J.; Jonáček. Z.: Transport emission footprint in the Slovak economy. Proceedings of the 25th International Transport & Air Pollution (TAP) and the 3rd Shipping & Environment (S&E) Conference. 2024. Online: https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC136825.