Lithuanian President gives speech at UN Global Conference on Sustainable Development

The president said that pollution in Lithuania had dropped and GDP per capita was growing.

"There must be the right balance of economic growth, energy security and efficiency, and consideration for 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 in the meantime, our economic growth is one of the fastest in the European Union," the president said in Rio de Janeiro.

According to her, words and actions should support one another in working on sustainable development. Grybauskaitė said the world should not be afraid to make greener economy and responsible use of natural resources compulsory. Guidelines, clear goals and a solid legal base would not step up our efforts in reaching sustainable development goals, the Lithuanian president has said, adding that decisions have to be made fast as the world does not have the luxury of time.

Grybauskaitė underlined that even small countries like Lithuania could contribute to a greener economy and its growth.

"We should not forget that even small actions matter. Even more, they sometimes turn into big changes. When work is done together, overstepping national boundaries, then even small countries like Lithuania can make an input in making our economy greener, at the same time fostering its growth," the president said.

The UN Conference on Sustainable Development is one of the largest global forums where state and government leaders, representatives of governmental and non-governmental organizations are looking for ways to preserve the environment without hindering economic growth in the world. The agenda of the conference includes debates on the development of green economy and on promoting efficiency and reforms of UN institutions in charge of sustainable development. The conference also addresses topics important for Lithuania - civilized management of utility waste, promotion of renewable energy sources, and the significance of innovations in developing forms of production aimed at preserving natural resources.