Statement by H.E. Ms. Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir,
the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland
Climate Summit 2025
during the High-level week of the 80th Session of the General Assembly
24 September, 2025

Mr President,  Mr Secretary General, Distinguished colleagues.  

The Paris Agreement remains a cornerstone of global climate action. Through our collective efforts, progress is evident. 

But the climate crisis is no longer a distant threat. It’s actively unfolding.   

Rising temperatures, intensifying weather events and rising sea levels threaten food security, increase health risks, and deepen inequalities.  

The urgency is clear. 

Allow me to go through Iceland’s proposal for an updated Nationally Determined Contribution.  

Iceland commits itself to a target of 50-55 percent net reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, in the sectors covered by the EU’s effort Sharing Regulation on domestic transport, buildings, agriculture, small industry, and waste..  

We are also committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry sector, by an amount equivalent to 400,000 to 500,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2035.  

These targets strike a balance between being ambitious and implementable, ensuring high standards, with the means to achieve them. 

But meeting national targets is only a part of the equation.  

Iceland has increased support for climate action in developing countries, equally emphasizing adaptation and mitigation – and recognizing the links between gender equality and climate resilience, and a healthy ocean and climate action.  

The updated NDCs are a crucial step forward.   

But progress depends on our determination to turn commitments into impact. I call on us all to act with urgency.  

Thank you.