As of 1 January 2023, the Ministry of Climate and Energy (hereinafter referred to as MoCE) has started working. This has been achieved by reorganising the Ministry of Economics (hereinafter referred to as the MoE) and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (hereinafter referred to as the MoEPRD). In the future, functions related to energy policy and climate policy are transferred to MoCE.
To ensure the operations of MoCE, two energy policy structural units – the Energy Market and Infrastructure Department and the Sustainable Energy Policy Department – were transferred from the MoE, and the Climate Change Department was transferred from MoEPRD.
One capital company – SIA Vides investīciju fonds – will be subordinated to MoCE, whose purpose is to reduce environmental pollution, promoting the implementation of environmental protection projects and increasing the capacity of local governments and capital companies in preparing and implementing quality and efficient environmental protection projects from project idea to implementation.
Furthermore, MoCE will carry out the following MoE’s functions in the energy policy area:
- Develop and monitor the implementation of development planning documents (short- and long-term development plans), regulatory enactments (laws, Cabinet of Ministers regulations) and informative reports in the field of energy (electricity, natural gas, heating energy, hydrocarbons – production, use, transmission, distribution thereof; renewable energy sources, energy efficiency).
- Ensure planning, evaluation, implementation, monitoring and control of climate and energy projects financed by foreign and other financial instruments. MoCE will supervise the programmes co-financed by EU Structural Funds in the field of energy, such as specific objective 2.1.2 “Promotion of renewable energy – biomethane” and specific objective 2.1.1.3 “Use of RES and increasing energy efficiency in local and individual heating and cooling”.
- Promote the integration of measures into development planning documents of other sectors and regulatory enactments aimed at achieving climate policy and energy policy objectives, organise and coordinate the implementation of regulatory enactments (for example, monitor and coordinate permits for the construction of solar power plants and wind power plants).
- MoCE will also develop recommendations and guidelines. For example, regulations governing the production and marketing of electricity; a mechanism for reducing extreme increases in energy prices for households and economic operators.
Important!
Please send any general questions and correspondence related to climate and energy issues to MoCE’s official e-mail: pasts@kem.gov.lv.To contact the office of MoCE Minister Raimonds Čudars, please write to birojs@kem.gov.lv. Official address of the Ministry: Peldu iela 26/28, Riga, LV-1050. E-mail for questions from media representatives: prese@kem.gov.lv.
During the transitional period, the contact details of MoCE’s employees in the field of energy are available on the MoE website here, while the contact details of employees in the field of climate change are available on MoEPRD website here.
Similarly, during the transition period, all energy policy related information can still be found on the MoE website here, but climate policy related information is available on the MoEPRD website here.
Information prepared by:
Public Relations Department
Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development
Tel. 20200305; 67026533,
e-mail: prese@varam.gov.lv