WORLD BANK AIR

POLLUTION
ABATEMENT PROGRAM
IN SLOVENIA (1996-1997)
ABOUT SLOVENIA
Population - 2
million

Area- 20.296
square kilometers

Status- Developing
country

GDP- US $21
billion

Got independence
in 1991
PROBLEM
 Air pollution caused by the use of dirty fossil fuels (coal,
wood, heavy oil) for power generation and heating was
one of the biggest environmental problem for slovenia.
 The heating of buildings, flats and individual houses
utilizes about one third of the total energy consumption
in Slovenia and therefore is responsible directly or
indirectly the same proportion of air pollution.
STEP BY GOVT.
 The Government of Slovenia established the
Environmental Development Fund (Eco-Fund) within the
Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning to manage
loans for gas conversion.
 Eco-Fund provided attractive low interest loans to
households to convert their dirty heating systems to more
environmentally friendly systems. From June 1995 to May
1996, 117 loans were made to individual households.
IMPROVEMENT IN PLAN
 “Pilot Testing Phase of the World Bank Air
Pollution Abatement Program” that would evaluate
and improve the Eco-Fund project management
capabilities, design and launch an extensive public
communication campaign, and design and provide
computer courses and purchase computer and
communication hardware and software for Eco-
Fund staff.
CONTD.
 This time a pristop named company conduct a
research. In this research size of quota sampling
was 1163 households which represents 645000
households.
 The total value of the project contract was ECU
400,000 (U.S. $456,000) of which ECU 154,800
(U.S. $176,500) were designated for the public
communication campaign.
PUBLIC COMMUNICATION
CAMPAIGN
 Duration- The public communication campaign

started in May 1996.

 11 months as the implementation phase and 1

month as the finalization phase.

IN RESEARCH THEY FIND:-
 * S/he is older
 * lives in urban environment
 * is employed by state/public company
 * lives in a family with one provider
 * has middle or lower family income
 More were retirees
OBJECTIVES DETERMINED BY
PRISTOP:-
 To train and increase the communicative capability of
the Eco-Fund management and staff
 To increase awareness about the loan program in the
target population
 To influence the target population and other enabling
groups to do the necessary preparatory work, apply for
loans, take the loans and convert their heating
systems.
CONTD.
 Enabling publics groups (those institutions directly involved
in the loan program that have an influence on the success of
the program such as banks, labor contractors and natural gas
and district heating distributors)
 Media (journalists and editors of both print and electronic
media on local and national levels)
 A political public (Parliament, Government, Ministry of
Environment and Physical Planning, environmental pressure
groups)
STRATEGIC TACTICS AND
TECHNIQUES
 Launch: “Open Day.”
 The public communication campaign was launched
with an “open day” reception at the premises of the
Eco-Fund in May 1996. Representatives of local
communities, managers of leading energy supply
companies, bank executives and journalists met with the
management of the Eco-Fund and their staff for a
briefing on the project and its goals.
TRAINING AND SEMINARS OF
STAFF
 This consisted of training them for the preparation
of public delivery of a short statement (30
seconds), and open statement (no time limitation).
 As a result of that part of the training, a Question
& Answer manual on those topics was prepared.
ADVERTISING
 TV advertisements in the length of 16 seconds
were run on both major national TV stations-
 one public (TV Slovenija)
 one private (POP TV)
RADIO
 Radio spots were  Radio Maribor MM1,
placed on nine national  Radio Ognjisce,
and regional radio  Radio Trbovlje,
stations in March 1997:
 Radio Triglav and Val
 Radio Brezice, 202.
 Radio Celje,
 Radio Dur,
 Radio Glas Ljubljane,
PRINT MEDIA
 Print advertisements were published in September
1996 and in March 1997 in 10 national regional
and local dailies, weeklies and biweeklies.
 Print ads were one quarter of a page and like the
broadcast ads identified the Eco-Fund and banks
that were facilitating the loans.
LIVE RADIO TALK SHOWS
 To spread more information about the loans and
how to obtain them and to get the target audience
to join discussions on the loan program and on the
environmental issues, 21 live radio talk programs
were organized.
MEDIA RELATIONS.
 A total of 27 articles were published in the national

press and 35 in the regional press.

BROCHURE

 To provide the target audience with useful information in a

friendly “take home” form, available in appropriate
locations, a booklet entitled “Loans for Environmentally
Friendly Heating Systems” was prepared, printed.
 In the booklet readers found information about loans (how to
get them, who can ask for them, necessary documentation...)
 Approximately 14,000 copies of the booklet were
disseminated.
CONTD

 About convenient of new system.

 Environmental issues.

 Age of old system.

TOLL-FREE TELEPHONE
LINE.
 Feedback from the public has been recorded in 975

phone calls on the published telephone number.

RESULT ACHIEVED
 Within 10 months of the implementation of the

public communication campaign in May 1996,

1,896 loans were distributed.

 The population of loan-takers was older than the

general population of Slovenia, with retirees

forming 40 percent of loan-takers.

CONTD.
 Major reasons given for applying for the loan and
converting heating systems were the convenience
of the new systems (5 7%), environmental reasons
(55%), and age of the previous system (30%).
 56% of respondents identified print advertisements
as the primary source of information on the loan,
25% friends and relatives and 16% television
advertisements.
CONTD.
 The brochure was identified as an important source of
information on the loan by 40% of respondents.

 has received two awards: the United Nations Award

given out by the International Public Relations
Association (IPRA).
 Award of Excellence from the International Association
of Business Communicators (IABC) – Europe.