The National energy and climate plan is a strategic document that must set goals, policies and actions up to 2030 (with an outlook to the year 2040) for the five dimensions of the Energy Union: 1. decarbonisation (greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and renewable energy sources (RES)), 2. energy efficiency, 3. energy security, 4. the internal energy market, and 5. research, innovation and competitiveness. Political, economic, environmental and social framework of the National energy and climate plan: The Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the Slovenian Development Strategy 2030 in December 2017 (Strategija razvoja Slovenije - SRS 2030), a framework document on national development that places quality of life for all18 at the forefront. The strategy incorporates globally agreed sustainable development goals as well as five strategic orientations and twelve interrelated development goals that lay down new long-term development foundations for Slovenia. As is emphasised in SRS 2030, Slovenia's future development will depend greatly on its ability to respond and adapt to trends and challenges in the global environment. Trends point to profound changes, especially in demographic trends, pressures on ecosystems, competition for global resources, and economic development. Co-operation and cohesion at global, European and national levels and cross-border co-operation are thus increasingly important. Slovenia is making steady progress in terms of quality of life and economic development and some environmental pressures have been reduced. Nonetheless, in many areas of economic, social and environmental development, it lags some way behind the most developed countries, with backlogs that vary from one region to another. In the decade preceding the outbreak of the 2008 crisis, Slovenia had achieved high economic growth; during this, however, many structural deficiencies indicated even before the crisis that the development model was unsustainable. During the crisis, GDP underwent a steep decline, which severely undermined economic stability and had a negative impact on the well-being of the population. In 2014, five years on, Slovenia started catching up with economically more developed countries, and the stability of the banking system and public finances, damaged in the crisis, was restored. Slovenia faces demographic changes that will have a major impact on the future development of society and the quality of life, namely the increase in the number of people over 65, the low fertility rate and the decrease in the population in the age group 20 to 64. The demographic changes also increase pressure on the financial sustainability of the social protection and pension systems. In recent years positive shifts have been achieved in reducing the burden on the environment, which is still overburdened by the Slovenian population through their lifestyle and production processes. Although greenhouse gas emissions declined in the context of lower economic activity during the crisis, nonetheless per unit of GDP their level remains higher than the EU average. Increased transit road traffic and overall non-sustainable mobility are particularly problematic for the environment. Total energy consumption is reduced on account of lower consumption in households and industry but remains relatively high per unit of GDP due to the high proportion of energy-intensive activities. Consequently, taking into account the dimension of the Energy Union, Slovenia will actively strive by 2030 to gradually decarbonise the energy-intensive industry and provide financial incentives for restructuring production processes with the introduction of green technologies. The Slovenian economy is above the EU average on the basis of its consumption of raw materials, which is reflected in its lower material efficiency and reduces its competitiveness. In some areas, such as the share of renewables and organic farming, Slovenia is more successful than the EU average. Slovenia also has favourable natural resources, coastal and marine resources and diverse biodiversity, but due to the inappropriate use of natural resources (especially in the areas of urbanisation, agriculture and water management), the conservation of species and their habitats is deteriorating.