Progress towards the SDGs – five facts about the environment in Latvia

Have greenhouse gas emissions in Latvia decreased? Is the forest area in Latvia still growing? Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia has compiled five facts about the environment in Latvia, covering five United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs): clean water and sanitation; affordable and clean energy; climate action; life below water; and life on land.

The period from 18 September to 8 October marks European Sustainable Development Week 2026. This major initiative aims to promote international knowledge exchange and the sharing of good practices in sustainable development. The week has become a platform for Latvia and other European countries to showcase their efforts and achievements in advancing sustainability at both local and global levels.

Activities during the week are based on the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted in 2015. Its 17 SDGs set the main priorities for sustainable development worldwide (further information (in Latvian) on the goals in national context is available on the Cabinet of Ministers website). Five of these goals address environmental issues. The following five facts illustrate progress in Latvia towards each of them.

Fact 1: Latvia has the fourth highest share of renewable energy in the EU

SDG 7 calls for a substantial increase in the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix by 2030. The share of renewable energy is one of the strongest sustainability indicators for Latvia.

Provisional data for 2025 show that the share of renewable energy made up 46.3 % of gross final energy consumption, up from 45.5 % in 2024 (EU average 26.2 %) ¹. In 2024, the share of renewable energy was highest in heating and cooling (61.8 %) as well as electricity sector (55.5 %). In transport, the share rose sharply to 8.8 %, yet it remains the lowest of the three sectors, making transport the main challenge in achieving this goal.

Fact 2: Forest area continues to grow gradually

SDG 15 aims to protect, restore and promote 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 forest area in Latvia totalled 3 318 thousand hectares, continuing its gradual annual increase. State-owned forests occupied 1 527 thousand hectares and other forests 1 791 thousand hectares. Standing timber reached 674 million m³.

While the forest area in Latvia remains stable, the EU as a whole is moving away from this goal due to land degradation and biodiversity loss. Protecting biodiversity is therefore becoming an increasingly important priority in Latvia alongside maintaining forest area.                                                                                                                 

Fact 3: Water use higher than a year earlier

SDG 6 aims to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

In 2025, total water abstraction in Latvia amounted to 186.3 million m³, with more than half coming from surface water and the remainder from groundwater. Total water use for domestic and industrial purposes stood at 123.4 million m³, up by 13.1 % compared with 2024.

Of the 183.4 million m³ of wastewater discharged nationwide, 115.9 million m³ (63.2 %) was treated to meet regulatory requirements before discharge ². A further 35.7 % met regulatory standards without requiring treatment: cooling water from manufacturing and energy production, and clean surface runoff from precipitation. Only 1.1 % failed to meet regulatory standards.

Fact 4: GHG emissions in Latvia show a substantial long-term decline

SDG 13 calls for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

Provisional data show that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Latvia amounted to 9 669 thousand tonnes of CO₂ equivalent in 2025, up by 0.4 % compared with 2024 and corresponding to approximately 37 % of the 1990 level. The largest sources of emissions were the energy sector (3 189 thousand tonnes), transport (3 012 thousand tonnes), and agriculture (2 115 thousand tonnes).

To meet the 2030 target of 9 116 thousand tonnes, emissions need to fall by a further 553 thousand tonnes, or approximately 5.7 % ³. In 2024, GHG emissions per capita in Latvia reached 5.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (5.3 tonnes in 2023), representing the fifth lowest level in the EU. Latvia also had the lowest emissions per capita among the Baltic States: emissions in Lithuania stood at 6.3 tonnes (6.2 tonnes in 2023) and in Estonia at 7.5 tonnes (8.0 tonnes in 2023).

Fact 5: Algal blooms pose a major challenge for Baltic Sea countries

SDG 14 aims to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

In 2025, fish landings from fishing vessels in Latvia totalled 58.1 thousand tonnes (down by approximately 5.4 % from 61.4 thousand tonnes in 2024). Changes in the volume of fish landed reflect internationally agreed catch limits (quotas), conditions for fishing and the condition of the marine ecosystem ⁴.

One of the main environmental challenges facing the Baltic Sea is eutrophication caused by excessive nutrient inputs. This promotes algal blooms, reduces oxygen levels in deeper waters and degrades fish spawning habitats.

All key climate change indicators on a single platform

To provide an accessible overview of progress towards climate goals in Latvia, Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia, in cooperation with the Ministry of Climate and Energy, has developed a Climate Change Dashboard. The dashboard brings together key indicators on GHG emissions, energy consumption and the energy mix, transport (including vehicle age and the share of electric vehicles), and tourism. A section on environmental pollution indicators is also under development.

Methodological information 

¹  Data for 2025 are provisional. Final data will be published in database table ENA020 on 15 January 2027. The indicator is calculated using the standardised Eurostat Short Assessment of Renewable Energy Sources (SHARES) methodology and in accordance with the EU Renewable Energy Directive.

²  In addition to water used, the total volume of wastewater discharged (183.4 million m³) also includes rainwater and snowmelt entering sewerage networks, groundwater infiltration and industrial cooling water. Most wastewater is treated to meet regulatory requirements through mechanical, biological or chemical treatment with nutrient removal.

³  The National Energy and Climate Plan 2021–2030 sets out national energy and climate policy targets for Latvia, with a target to reduce GHG emissions by 65 % by 2030 compared with 1990 levels, excluding land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF). This target supports progress towards climate neutrality in Latvia and contributes to achieving the overall EU climate targets.

⁴  The decline in catches was mainly driven by reduced fishing opportunities for herring and sprat, alongside continued restrictions on cod and salmon fishing to conserve fish stocks. Short-term fluctuations in catches are primarily determined by EU-approved catch quotas and economic factors, such as fuel prices and market demand, while eutrophication is a long-term underlying factor.

Media requests:
Public Relations Section
Email: media@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 27880666

More information on the data:
Ilze Timermane
Environment Statistics Data Analysis and Dissemination Section
Email: Ilze.Timermane@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 67366835