Study Resource Efficiency Gains and Green Growth Perspectives in Hungary András Bíró Nagy| Tamás Boros September 2012 n Hungary is more vulnerable to climate change than most countries in Europe in a number of areas: declining biodiversity, air pollution, and decline in the quantity of annual precipitation. Although Hungary is responsible for a mere 0.2–0.5 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, its per capita emissions are still significantly higher than the global average(main contributors: energy sector 75 per cent, agriculture 13 per cent). However, Hungarians tend to fear the effects of climate change less than the EU average. n Various political strategies for fighting climate change can be observed: e.g. EU­regulated emission-trading system and the National Climate Change Strategy(NÉS), including plans for reducing the consumption of fossil fuels, curbing the current level of energy consumption, launching a civic initiative for energy efficiency, increasing the share of renewable energy sources and developing public transport. n There is a great need to stimulate a»green economy« and reshape the economic structure, in order to change domestic production in accordance with climate pro­tection considerations. This would also yield specific economic benefits: reducing per unit energy consumption would improve productivity, enhance the security of energy supplies and decrease Hungary’s dependence on energy imports. Practically all political forces in Hungary endorse developing the green economy.