Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
I would like to thank the President and the Government of Brazil for their warm hospitality.
We meet for the 30th Conference of the Parties. This year the conference is about the global mobilization of stakeholders. About bridging the gaps between negotiation and implementation.
We know that the biggest challenge to implementing climate solutions is to balance economic activity with the responsible use of Earth’s resources. Many communities will resist change if not offered appropriate alternatives. Climate vision cannot survive on empty pledges. We must make climate policies about people. People are the agents of change.
Latvia places the highest value on human life, social well-being, peace, climate resilience and adaptation. As we join the UN Security Council in 2026, we intend to advance these principles in every discussion.
We condemn actions that undermine these values. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine seeks to reshape the global order through conflict. It takes away human lives and inflicts harm on nature for no good reason. It limits climate investment as resources are redirected to defense spending.
Latvia makes use of today’s technologies to do more with less. These opportunities should be accessible to everyone. To power more with clean energy. To travel further but use less fuel. To grow more food using fewer resources.
Climate action should not be the responsibility of one group or one nation. The gains we derive from climate action should not be distributed among a small, privileged group. When disaster strikes, it is usually communities that have to take on the burden of rebuilding lives. Unfortunately, we see this too often, as with the recent tragedies faced by Small Island Developing States. That is why we must ensure that the rewards of the transition are shared — because only then can people see why change in their own lives matters.
Thank you!
