“A time when people are greatly concerned about high energy prices and security fears due to the war in Ukraine may not seem like the most appropriate juncture at which to discuss whether we should be producing electricity from wind, water or some other source or looking for the best ways to reduce carbon emissions to zero,” President Karis remarked. “But now is very much the right time, and indeed well past time, to set out realistic goals and to choose the smart way to mitigate both the energy crisis and climate change and to maintain the living environment around us by using new forms of technology.”
The head of state cautioned that climate change does not recognise national borders. “To keep the temperature rise around the planet to within 1.5 degrees, every country must make its own contribution, but the world’s biggest economies in particular need to make more of an effort,” he advised. “Current forecasts indicate that without that extra effort being made, that goal simply won’t be achieved. In partnerships between scientists and entrepreneurs, a lot of potential is going untapped to turn the green transition into a competitive advantage for Estonia. Ours is a smart nation, so we have to be smart and transform challenges into opportunities.”
At COP27, President Karis will be attending today’s opening ceremony and taking part in a panel organised by President Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana focussing on Africa’s ability to cope with climate change. He also plans to hold bilateral meetings with the heads of state of a number of other countries.
Tomorrow President Karis will be speaking on behalf of Estonia at the opening event for heads of state at the climate conference. He will also be taking part in a high-level round table concerning the availability of water and the security concerns arising from water shortages. Estonia became the lead country on the UN Water Convention last October, a role it will fulfil for three years.
The Estonian head of state will also be taking part in a round table organised by President Klaus Iohannis of Romania and Prime Minister Petr Fiala of the Czech Republic on raising environmental awareness and cooperation between countries on climate education.
Running from 6-18 November, the UN’s COP27 climate conference is being attended by around 30,000 delegates from close to 200 countries. It will focus on the extent to which the main objective of the Paris Agreement – limiting the global rise in temperature to 1.5 degrees – has been achieved and look for ways to slow and adapt to climate change, assist developing countries and help those already impacted.
President Karis will be returning to Estonia on Wednesday.
For more information about COP27 see https://unfccc.int/cop27.
