On 1 December, President Edgars Rinkēvičs attended the opening of the 28th session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
In his address, the President stressed the need to act as soon as possible to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change. ‘The key word is action. We must act to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change. We need to change our behaviour and allocate sufficient funding. We must recognize that the longer we wait, the higher the price becomes. It is in terms of monetary value, in termsof human lives and biodiversity. It is an existential issue for many countries,’ said E. Rinkēvičs.
President Rinkēvičs noted Latvia’s commitment and contribution to global climate goals. ‘Latvia, as an EU Member State, is committed to contribute to the achievement of the global climate goals. We are on a pathway to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. Latvia allocates funds to the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund to protect and empower those who find themselves on the frontline of climate adversity,’ noted E. Rinkēvičs.
The President also condemned Russia’s war and ecocide against Ukraine, stressing that it is exacerbating the climate crisis. E. Rinkēvičs called on world leaders to use the two weeks of the climate change conference in the most effective way to move towards real climate goals.
