The Presidents of the Baltic States, i.e. Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, met on 15 November in Vilnius and signed the “Baltic Road to Climate Neutrality” Declaration . The document envisages joint action and cooperation of the Baltic States in a number of areas for the benefit of the climate. Among them is the development of offshore wind energy in the Baltic Sea.
Representatives of the three countries signed a declaration to transition to a climate neutral economy and implement commitments made at the COP26 summit in Glasgow.
“Combating climate change, caring for the environment and sustainable development are conditions for prosperity in the Baltic region. I hope that this declaration will give a positive impulse to the green transformation in our countries. We must move from words to deeds”, said Gitanas Nausėda, President of Lithuania.
The Declaration points out that sustainable development and the containment of climate change are of utmost importance for the protection of the Baltic Sea. Bearing in mind the unique features of each country’s environment, the recommendations of scientists, the ambitious goals of the EU and the COP26, the Presidents of the Baltic States pledged to strengthen cooperation to combat climate change.
They also call on Baltic citizens, NGOs, businesses and governments to work towards climate neutrality in the Baltics, while managing the social and economic consequences of the transition and strengthening the competitiveness of the region.
The declaration also called on industry to invest in research, development, and innovation as well as on the Baltic governments to support these efforts in order to keep the Baltic economies at the forefront of change. The Presidents are obliged to support Baltic pioneers, innovators and exporters of climate neutral technologies and services.
The Presidents called on the Baltic governments to implement Rail Baltica in time for the Baltic States to reap the full benefits of the project and benefit from climate-neutral transport and logistics solutions.
Cross-border energy projects and offshore wind energy
As part of the declaration, the presidents pledged to work more closely together in developing the Three Seas Initiative to implement climate-neutral cross-border energy ,transport, and digital infrastructure projects to promote reliable and secure digital and green connectivity across the region.
It is also foreseen to focus efforts on the sustainable development of maritime industries and wind energy projects in the Baltic Sea in order to significantly increase the share of renewable electricity and pave the way for the decarbonisation of the regional economy.
