site.btaDeputy Environment Minister Kostadinov at COP30: Climate Change Is Already Reality for Bulgaria

Deputy Environment and Water Minister Atanas Kostadinov represented Bulgaria at the high-level segment of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belem, Brazil. In his speech on Tuesday, he said that today's world is a battle between the fast-moving changes in climate and the old, traditional ways of thinking and acting, and this clash shows "we must adapt faster and rethink how we respond." For Bulgaria, climate change is already a lived reality, he noted.

In his words, Bulgaria has experienced severe floods, droughts, storms, and wildfires in recent years. "These events have tested our resilience, challenged our communities, and reaffirmed the scientific imperative to keep 1.5C within reach. This goal remains essential for safeguarding our shared future. We stand firmly within the European Union's collective effort grounded in scientific-based policymaking. In 2023, Bulgaria's greenhouse gas emissions decreased by more than 60% compared with our base year. Emissions in 2023 decreased with more than 22% in comparison with the emissions of the
previous year," Kostadinov said.

He highlighted three key messages: accelerating global ambition as key for keeping the target of 1.5C alive; stronger ambition on adaptation; and unity built on diversity as the strongest asset.

Noting that Member States have different economic structures and different capabilities, he praised the EU for managing, despite these differences, to "build the world's most ambitious climate policy frameworks - proof that shared ambition is possible when countries work together."

"The time for preparation is over; the time for implementation has come. Let COP30 be the moment when determination replaces hesitation," Kostadinov concluded.