Distinguished Delegates,
It is an honour to address you on behalf of the people of the Republic of Moldova. My deep gratitude goes to his excellency Ilham Aliyev and the Government of Azerbaijan for hosting COP29 in Baku.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Moldova exemplifies the injustice of climate change: while contributing a mere 0.03% of global emissions, we are Europe’s most vulnerable country to climate impacts.
For Moldova, climate change is not a distant threat; it is a present reality impacting our daily lives, economy, and especially our rural communities who depend on agriculture. Rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and erratic rainfall are reducing yields in crops like wheat and corn, while Moldova’s vineyards—central to our economy and heritage—face new challenges. Access to water is increasingly strained, affecting both agriculture and daily life.
Small and developing economies worldwide share this burden often lacking the resources to recover.
This underscores the urgent need for an equitable, accessible climate finance system that prioritizes vulnerable nations and builds resilience. It’s only fair that we count on support from major economies.
To expedite climate action, existing funds and programs must also cut through their bureaucratic delays, which can span years.
In Moldova, we are doing our part. Despite multiple crises due to Russia's brutal war against Ukraine, which impacts our economy significantly, we launched a National afforestation program – an effort to expand forest cover by 5%, showing our commitment to a greener future.
Despite limited resources, we pursue this goal for the health of our planet and future generations, improving air quality, biodiversity and land.
The recent global energy crisis spurred us into swift action. We are reducing consumption through energy efficiency and expanding renewables. Yet afforestation and decarbonization are costly, and with greater support, we could accelerate these existential work.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Time is running out - global warming won’t wait until other crises are resolved. History will judge us if we fail to act, risking vast areas of our planet becoming unlivable. Our solidarity today will shape the Earth’s future.
Thank you!