Achieving climate goals an existential issue for many countries - Rinkevics

RIGA - Achieving climate goals is an existential issue for many countries, President Edgars Rinkevics said at the 28th session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Friday.

In his address, Rinkevics stressed the need to act as quickly as possible to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change, as the president's advisor Martins Dregeris told LETA.

Action is key, said the president. Action is needed to mitigate the negative impact of climate change. Changing our behavior and allocation of sufficient funding is also important, said Rinkevics.

"We need to be aware that the longer we do not act, the higher the price will become. Both in monetary terms and in terms of human lives and biodiversity. For many countries, this is an existential issue," said Rinkevics.

Rinkevics pointed out Latvia's commitment and contribution to the global climate goals. Latvia, as a European Union member country, is committed to contributing to the achievement of the global climate goals. The country is on track to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. Latvia is also contributing to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund.

Rinkevics also condemned Russia's war against Ukraine and destruction of the environment in Ukraine, stressing that this was exacerbating the climate crisis. Rinkevics called on world leaders to use the two weeks of the climate change conference in the most effective way to move toward actually achieving climate goals.