Have greenhouse gas emissions in Latvia decreased? Are Latvia's forest areas continuing to grow? The Central Statistical Bureau (CSP) has compiled Latvia's data on five UN Sustainable Development Goals related to the environment – availability of clean water, access to sustainable energy, the conservation and sustainable use of the sea and its resources, and the protection, restoration, and promotion of sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems.
From 18 September to 8 October, the European Sustainable Development Week 2026 is taking place in Latvia and across Europe, with the main aim of promoting the exchange of knowledge and sharing best practice examples in fostering sustainable development at an international level.
The European Sustainable Development Week has become a platform where Latvia and other European countries can demonstrate their efforts and achievements in ensuring sustainability on both a local and global scale. The activities of this week are based on the global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the UN in 2015, which includes 17 sustainable development goals that set the main directions for sustainability worldwide. The environmental aspect is included in five of these goals.
1. The proportion of renewable energy resources in Latvia is the fourth highest in the European Union
The seventh of the 17 sustainable development goals up to 2030 aims to significantly increase the share of renewable energy in the overall energy mix. The share of renewable energy resources is one of Latvia's strongest sustainability indicators.
Provisional data for 2025 show that the share of renewable energy resources in gross final energy consumption reached 46.3% (compared to 45.5% in 2024), with the average figure for European Union countries being 26.2% [1]. The highest share of renewable resources in 2024 was in the heating and cooling sector (61.8%) and electricity (55.5%). In the transport sector, this indicator rose rapidly to 8.8% in 2024, yet it remains the lowest among all sectors and continues to be the main challenge in achieving the goal.
2. Forest areas continue to grow gradually
The 15th sustainable development goal is to protect, restore and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
At the beginning of 2026, the area of forest in Latvia was 3,318 thousand hectares, which represents a gradual increase over the years. Of the total forest area, 1,527 thousand hectares were state forests, and 1,791 thousand hectares were other forests. Timber stock reached 674 million m³.
While forest areas in Latvia remain stable, the European Union as a whole is seeing a negative trend in achieving this goal due to land degradation and the loss of biodiversity. Therefore, alongside maintaining forest areas, the protection of biodiversity is becoming an increasingly important priority in Latvia.
3. Water usage continues to decrease
The sixth of the 17 sustainable development goals is to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
In 2025, the total water extraction in Latvia reached 186.3 million m³, more than half of which was obtained from surface water, with the remainder from groundwater. Total water usage for domestic and industrial needs in 2025 was 123.4 million m³, or 13.1% more than the previous year.
Of all wastewater discharged across the country (183.4 million m³), the majority, or 115.9 million m³ (63.2%), is treated according to regulatory requirements before discharge. [2] Another significant portion, or 35.7%, consists of normatively clean wastewater that does not require treatment; this includes cooling water from manufacturing and energy sectors, as well as clean surface precipitation water. Only a very small fraction, or 1.1%, is normatively dirty wastewater.
4. Greenhouse gas emissions in Latvia have decreased significantly in the long term
The 13th sustainable development goal is to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
Provisional data show that in 2025, greenhouse gas emissions in Latvia were 9,669 thousand tonnes of CO2 equivalent – 0.4% more than the previous year and representing approximately 37% of the 1990 emission level. The largest sources of emissions are the energy sector (3,189 thousand t), transport (3,012 thousand t) and agriculture (2,115 thousand t).
To reach the target set for 2030 (9,116 thousand t), emissions must be reduced by a further approximately 553 thousand tonnes, or 5.7%.[3] In Latvia, greenhouse gas emissions per capita in 2024 were 5.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (compared to 5.3 tonnes in 2023), which is the fifth lowest figure in the European Union. Among the Baltic States, Latvia has the lowest volume of emissions per capita; in Lithuania, it was 6.3 tonnes (6.2 tonnes in 2023), while in Estonia it was 7.5 tonnes (8.0 tonnes in 2023).
5. Rapid algae spread, driven by marine eutrophication, causes issues for Baltic Sea coastal countries
The 14th sustainable development goal is to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
In 2025, the quantity of fish landed in Latvia from fishing vessels was 58.1 thousand tonnes – about 5.4% less than the previous year, when 61.4 thousand tonnes were landed. Changes in the volume of landed fish are influenced by both internationally set catch limits (quotas) and fishing opportunities, as well as the state of the marine ecosystem[4].
One of the main ecological challenges for the Baltic Sea is eutrophication, or the excessive inflow of nutrients, which promotes algae blooming, reduces oxygen levels in deep-water layers, and degrades the quality of fish spawning grounds.
Climate data in one place
So that progress towards climate goals in Latvia can be easily viewed in one place, the CSP, in cooperation with the Ministry of Climate and Energy (KEM), has developed a climate change information dashboard, available online at tools.stat.gov.lv/climate. The dashboard aggregates key indicators on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, energy consumption and its structure, the transport sector – including vehicle age and the proportion of electric vehicles – and the tourism industry, as well as creating a section for environmental indicators regarding pollution of the surrounding environment.
Methodological information:
1 Data for 2025 are provisional. Final data in the database table ENA020 will be published on 15 January 2027. The indicator is calculated in accordance with the standardized SHARES methodology of the EU statistical office (Eurostat) and the conditions of the EU Renewable Energy Directive. The full name of SHARES in English is 'Short Assessment of Renewable Energy Sources'.
2 The indicated total volume of discharged wastewater (183.4 million m³) includes not only the consumed water but also rain and snowmelt water that entered the sewage networks, groundwater infiltration, and industrial cooling water. Most wastewater is treated according to regulatory requirements by applying mechanical, biological, or chemical treatment with nutrient reduction.
3 The National Energy and Climate Plan (NEKP) for 2021-2030 sets Latvia's goals in the field of energy and climate policy, including a 65% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels (excluding LULUCF). This goal promotes Latvia's progress towards climate neutrality and supports the achievement of the EU's common climate targets.
4 The reduction in catch volumes was primarily influenced by lower fishing opportunities for herring and sprat, as well as continued restrictions on cod and salmon fishing for the purpose of preserving fish stocks. Short-term fluctuations in catch are primarily determined by catch quotas approved by the European Union and economic factors (e.g., fuel prices and market demand), whereas eutrophication is a long-term background factor.