Latvia's Responsibility Towards The Environment

Latvia Republic of Latvia [Country Profile Page]
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	38th best
Capital	Riga
Land Area	62 200km21
Location	Europe, Baltic States
Population	1.9m2
Life Expectancy	73.58yrs (2017)3
GNI	$32 803 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	LV, LVA, 4285
Internet Domain	.lv6
Currency	Euro (EUR)7
Telephone	+3718

Latvia comes 85th in the world with regard to its responsibility towards the environment. This is computed using 21 data sets. Latvia comes in the best 20 when it comes to its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. It does better than average in its environmental performance₉ (but bad for Europe), its forested percent change 2000-2020₁₀ and in energy to GDP efficiency₁₁. Latvia does not succeed in everything, however. Latvia does worse than average in reducing annual meat consumption per person₁₂. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 for the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₁₃.

1. Latvia's Responsibility Towards The Environment
2. Data Sets
   1. Forest Area Change 2000-2020
   2. Environmental Performance
   3. Energy to GDP Efficiency
   4. International Accords on the Environment
   5. Rational Beliefs on the Environment
   6. Meat Consumption
3. Links

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1. Latvia's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#climate_change #the_environment

Compared to Europe (2025)14
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank14
1	Switzerland	45.0
2	Denmark	50.4
3	Liechtenstein	56.8
	...
21	Turkey	75.0
22	Belgium	75.3
23	Bulgaria	75.8
24	Latvia	77.7
25	Slovakia	80.8
26	Poland	81.0
27	Slovenia	82.1
28	Georgia	83.6
29	Macedonia	86.9
	Europe Avg	86.45
q=48.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)14
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank14
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
82	Botswana	76.8
83	Syria	77.4
84	Congo, (Brazzaville)	77.6
85	Latvia	77.7
86	Egypt	78.0
87	Argentina	78.5
88	Dominica	78.5
89	Iran	79.0
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• " Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

2. Data Sets

2.1. Forest Area Change 2000-2020

#biodiversity #deforestation #environmentalism #forests #over-exploitation #the_environment

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better10
Pos.		Total10
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
45	Costa Rica	6.2%
46	Switzerland	6.0%
47	Belarus	5.9%
48	Latvia	5.2%
49	Tunisia	5.2%
50	Swaziland	5.1%
51	Thailand	4.7%
52	Poland	4.6%
	Europe Avg	8.2%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

With respect to its forested percent change 2000-2020, Latvia comes 48th in the world.

Forests are carbon sinks, mitigating against climate change_15,16. Unfortunately, we are destroying over 70,000 km² of forest each year₁₇. In the last few thousand years, we've removed 30-40% of the Earth's forest cover_18,16, mostly to clear space for agriculture, and for logging_19,20. The produce from both is shipped from poorer countries to richer ones. Half-hearted government efforts and company obfuscation of supply chains makes it almost impossible for consumers to tell which foods and products are from sustainable sources, and which ones are encouraging irresponsible deforestation, meaning that there is little incentive for companies to relent.

The effects are catastrophic. 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions are the result of deforestation_21,19. It brings soil erosion from wind and rain which, over time, can almost-permanently stop any hope of growing food₂₂, and spreads desertification. Entire ecosystems are collapsing as a result, including ones that we depend upon₂₃. The water cycle is driven by forests, and their loss reduces ordinary rainfall, increases flooding, removes an abundant source of water filtration, and contributes to a rise in water levels.₂₄.

Some regions of the world are increasing their forest cover₁₆; the best from 2000-2020 are Scandinavia (13.8% ), The Balkans (11.0% ) and Baltic States (7.6% )₁₀. There is an overall trend that developed countries gathered their riches by using up their natural resources, and now, they pay poorer countries to use up theirs instead, whilst they can afford to slowly rebuild their natural environments. But it's not wholly that simple - some rich regions are still burning through what they've got. The regions clearing their forests fastest are Central America (-12.8% ), Africa (-9.1% ) and North America (-2.9% )₁₀.

For more, see:

• "Deforestation" by Vexen Crabtree (2024).

Averages by decade for Latvia (for the ranks, lower is better):

Forest Area Change 2000-2020	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
Latvia:	4.0%	1.1%
World Rank:	39th	⇣  55th
World Avg:	0.6%	-0.7%

2.2. Environmental Performance

#climate_change #energy #sustainability #the_environment

Environmental Performance Higher is better9
Pos.		20189
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
34	Slovenia	67.6
35	Trinidad & Tobago	67.4
36	St Vincent & Grenadines	66.5
37	Latvia	66.1
38	Turkmenistan	66.1
39	Seychelles	66.0
40	Albania	65.5
41	Croatia	65.5
	Europe Avg	69.6
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

With respect to its environmental performance, Latvia is positioned 37th in the world.

The Environmental Performance Index 2018 data includes 24 indicators including air pollution, water and sanitation, biodiversity, ecosystems and environmental health, combined into a single score by country, by the Yale University Center for Environmental Law & Policy.

2.3. Energy to GDP Efficiency

#energy #sustainability #the_environment

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better11
Pos.		2022 Avg11
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
47	Pakistan	0.81
48	Comoros	0.81
49	Costa Rica	0.81
50	Latvia	0.81
51	Ghana	0.83
52	Colombia	0.83
53	Lithuania	0.83
54	Italy	0.84
	Europe Avg	1.25
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

In terms of energy to GDP efficiency, Latvia comes 50th in the world.

GDP per unit of energy consumption is often called 'Energy Intensity'. It's how efficient countries are at producing GDP in terms of primary energy use. It represents primary energy consumption using the substitution method, per unit of gross domestic product (GDP). A lower value means that less energy was used to maintain the country's GDP.

Averages by decade for Latvia (for the ranks, lower is better):

Energy to GDP Efficiency	1980s  Average	1990s  Average	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
Latvia:	2.40	2.00	1.23	1.05
World Rank:	112th	⇡  100th	⇡  77th	⇡  72nd
World Avg:	2.10	2.15	1.60	1.30

2.4. International Accords on the Environment

#environmentalism #internationalism

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
4	Latvia	81%
5	Estonia	80%
6	Ukraine	80%
7	Finland	79%
8	Georgia	79%
9	Switzerland	78%
10	Nigeria	78%
11	Germany	76%
12	Belarus	76%
	Europe Avg	62.7%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Latvia comes 4th-best in the world when it comes to its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment.

Each country is scored using a formula that takes the date each country took up major international environmental agreements, as a ratio of maximum possible days. The agreements covered are: (1) the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, (2) the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for certain hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides, (3) the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, (4) the Waigani Convention (for those countries that are eligible), (5) the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), (6) the Kyoto Protocol and (7) its successor, the Paris Agreement, (8) the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), (9) the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and finally, (10) the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer.

For more, see:

• " Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

“Latvia has an objective to reach climate neutrality by 2050, with an intermediate 2030 target of a 65% greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction compared with 1990. Latvia accounts for 0.4% of the EU's net GHG emissions. As its land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector turned from carbon sink to source, despite improved LULUCF data in 2023, Latvia's net emissions were still 1.5 times above 2005 levels, compared with an average EU reduction of 30.5% over the same period. Emissions from sectors under the EU emissions trading system (ETS) were reduced by 41.7%. Emissions under the effort-sharing sectors have remained within the country's allocations; with additional measures, Latvia expects to achieve its 2030 obligation. In September 2023, Latvia proposed [an updated to] its recovery and resilience plan, raising climate spending.”

EU 2023 Climate Action Strategy₂₅

Averages by decade for Latvia (for the ranks, lower is better):

International Accords on the Environment	1990s  Average	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
Latvia:	40%	88%	97%
World Rank:	123rd	⇡  34th	⇣  80th
World Avg:	45.0%	74.4%	90.7%

2.5. Rational Beliefs on the Environment

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better13
Pos.		2011 %13
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
130	USA	19.7%
131	Kuwait	19.6%
132	Zimbabwe	19.6%
133	Latvia	19.5%
134	Tunisia	19.3%
135	Czechia	16.0%
136	Estonia	15.9%
137	China	15.1%
	Europe Avg	33.6%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

When it comes to the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, Latvia comes 13th-worst in the world. In a 2023 survey, 22% of Latvians identified climate change as one of the four most serious problems facing the world (much less than the 46% EU average)₂₅. "Most expect national government (43%) or business and industry (39%), followed closely by the EU (38%) to tackle climate change, while 24% find it to be a personal responsibility"₂₅.

2.6. Meat Consumption

#animal_rights #animal_welfare #diet #food #health #meat #veganism #vegetarianism

Meat Consumption Lower is better12
Pos.		2021 kg12
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
128	Kazakhstan	71.8
129	Estonia	72.1
130	Guyana	72.4
131	Latvia	74.0
132	Finland	74.0
133	Italy	74.3
134	Norway	74.7
135	Mexico	75.4
	Europe Avg	71.1
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

Regarding reducing annual meat consumption per person, Latvia ranks 131st in the world.

There are five key arguments in favour of vegetarianism which accrue even from partial adoption: (1) Vegetarian diets have notable health advantages over carnivorous diets, especially for heart and cardiovascular issues_26,27,28. (2) It is morally better to avoid killing or harming animals. (3) Plant-based diets use much less water than carnivorous ones, to the extent that agricultural and water management scientists urge governments to encourage people to switch₂₉. (4) Vegetarian food production uses substantially less land_26,30,31. And, (5) vegetarianism is better for the environment than meat-production for emissions, sewerage, pollution and chemicals usage._26,30. A plant-based diet causes 75% less greenhouse gas emissions than a typical carnivorous diet₃₁. The global food industry causes about 1/3 of all planet-heating emissions, and so "to slow the worst climate effects, the United Nations has called for a drastic reduction in meat consumption"₃₁. Despite this, "reducing appetites for carbon-intensive meat and dairy is incredibly hard"₃₂ and as countries get richer, they tend to eat more meat.

On average throughout the 2010s, Latvia's rate was 66.3.