Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are all here to make a strong step forward towards making sustainable development an attainable reality. And not only for the future generations, but to the people who inhabit the Earth at this very moment. We must start right now since we don't have the luxury of time that addressing development challenges requires.
We can only compensate this lack
of time with global efforts towards sustainable development.
It means exceptional solidarity, where all countries, all people, all businesses commit to the cause. Either we are all in, or our goals get out.
To achieve our goals in
sustainable development, we have to be smart, sensitive and responsible.
Smart means
innovative and effective. Innovations and smart incentives create new forms of
production and allow more effective use of energy and natural resources. For
example, the Lithuanian carbon intensity has decreased faster than its per
capita GDP growth.
This is the result of our strong
belief that there must be the right balance of economic growth, energy security
and efficiency, and the environment. On the one hand, being reliant on a single
outside energy supplier, we are using a lot of local biomass as a recourse we
need to outweigh this dependence, but on the other hand, we managed to increase
the area of our forests by 11 per cent in twenty years. And meantime our
economic growth is one of the fastest in the European Union.
Sensitive means
understanding each other's needs and possibilities. Sensitivity goes hand in
hand with global solidarity. We strongly believe that we have to complement the
ways we measure well-being and development today. More sensitivity in measuring
wealth, its tempo and quality would help us to concentrate on the most
important development goals and contribute to poverty eradication.
Responsible means
that our words and resolve should lead to actions and real change. For that we
should not be afraid to make the greener economy and a responsible use of
environment resources compulsory.
Benchmarks, clear targets and a
proper institutional framework would only facilitate all our efforts towards
achieving sustainable development goals.
The European Union has already
adopted the Strategy Europe 2020. This growth strategy for the coming decade
will help the EU to become a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy in a
changing world.
When work is done together,
overstepping national boundaries, then even small countries like Lithuania can
make an input in greening our economy while at the same time fostering its
growth.
By being smart, responsible and
sensitive we can make a huge step forward to a more sustainable future of our
planet. And most importantly, we should not forget that even small actions
matter. Even more, they sometimes turn into a big change.
Let me give an example of the
initiative "Let's do it" bringing together local people to clean up
their living surroundings every spring. Started in small Baltic States, now it
has turned into a huge international campaign across the world. And yesterday
it took place next door, inviting us all to join cleaning up the Park of Rio.
It proves both, that we share the same concerns
and that we have to face them together. This is the only way to ensure that the
future we want becomes the future we get.
Let's do it!
