In a Nutshell

• Latvia’s long-term climate strategy estimates that about 3.6MtCO₂ emissions will remain to be compensated by CDR in 2050. The National and Energy Climate Action Plan (NECP), updated in July 2024, acknowledges the role of carbon removal and CCS technologies in ensuring that Latvia reaches climate neutrality by 2050.
• Latvia is developing a climate law which could allow geological CO₂ storage, to replace the current Law on Pollution which prohibits CO₂ storage. The draft climate law has been approved by the government and is undergoing the legislative process in the Saeima (Latvian parliament).
• The Riga Technical University and the University of Latvia are leading several CCUS research projects and studies.
•  The adoption date of the climate law is still unknown. 

Role for carbon removal in national climate policy

Latvia has committed to reaching climate neutrality by 2050 through its long-term climate strategy (LTS) released in 2018. The strategy is built around two complementary objectives: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in all sectors and to increase carbon dioxide removal capacities.

The LTS estimates that about 3.6MtCO₂ emissions will remain in 2050, which, according to the strategy, will need to be compensated by removals from the land-use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector. The strategy does not foresee the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) or carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) until 2030. The updated NECP now acknowledges the role of decarbonisation technologies, including technology-based carbon removals, natural carbon sinks, and the promotion of carbon storage in long-term products.

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Relevant legal frameworks

In October 2024, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a draft Climate Law, which is now under review by the Latvian parliament. The draft version defines climate neutrality as a balance between greenhouse gas emissions and removals, and removals are defined as per the EU LULUCF Regulation. The draft law brings all climate policy legal provisions under one roof, and could potentially allow the geological storage of CO₂, a development suggested by some actors from the industrial sector

Currently, the Law on Pollution prohibits geological CO₂ storage in Latvia. The new climate law will replace the Law on Pollution once it enters into force.

Internationally, Latvia is not a party to the London Convention or the London Protocol.

Support for R&D and Innovation

The Riga Technical University and the University of Latvia lead several CCUS research projects, on top of multiple ongoing and published studies. The CO₂ Deal project aims to develop a roadmap for decision-makers on the effective valorisation of CO₂ in Latvia. The CCSW aims to expand the knowledge base on integrating CCS on municipal solid waste treatment plants.

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On the horizon

The draft Climate Law is still pending in the Saeima. While it was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers in October 2024, a vote on the Climate Law on its first reading in the Saeima in January 2025 failed, with 48 members in favour and one abstention, insufficient to meet the quorum of 50. Opposition members have voiced concerns about the financial costs of achieving climate neutrality and questioned the benefits for Latvian citizens. Specific dates on the ongoing legislative process remain unconfirmed.

A final investment decision for the CCS Baltic Consortium is expected by the end of 2027. The project, which has secured EU funding and received PCI status, is scheduled to begin commercial operations in 2030. This will establish the first cross-border CO₂ transport infrastructure in the region, with plans to ship captured CO₂ from industrial sources to offshore geological storage sites.