SIMONAS GENTVILAS, THE NEW MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, ADDRESSES EVERY CITIZEN OF LITHUANIA AFTER TAKING AN OATH IN SEIMAS TOGETHER WITH THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE 18TH GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA

Dear environmentalist,

It means everyone.  Every day we make choices that have an impact on the environment - from what kind of Christmas gift we should choose to the decisions in the Ministry.  We choose how to respond to the overused, overheated climate and civic societies that call for personal change as well as change in our economy and politics.

I believe that our decision is clear - we need to take steps towards the preservation of goodness of nature that our children and future generations would be able to experience it.

We will be able to bring the change only together with society, conscious and demanding customers and companies, who are aware of the Ministry's increasing pollution constraints and the possibilities of the Green Deal. We must act together. We must make it possible for society, scientists and business associations to be part of the decision-making process. With each step, we have to move forward. With each move, we need to expand the circle of partners aware of environment protection.

A breakthrough in environmental consciousness has already taken place in society, which is why we need to develop it at national level and in the areas under the Ministry of the Environment. 

Our priorities:

• Public knowledge and authority in the field of environmental protection will be expanded.
• We will move cities towards sustainable development and their architecture will become objects of pride.
• The establishment of the Natura 2000 network of protected areas will be completed in the shortest possible time.
• Tire fire and sewage disasters will be the latest scandals, lessons learned by our supervisory authorities, their activities will shift from formal, results-oriented to preventive and consultative ones.
• We will establish a circular economy by implementing real procedures and accountability for the waste management of producers and importers.
• By properly pricing pollution and planning Green Deal support, we will change the economy, breathe clean air and meet our international climate change commitments.
• We will transform the Ministry of Environment into the first paperless digital ministry, where services, registers and supervised sectors will move from paperwork to an efficient digital space.