He described the environment as a silent victim of war, warning that the consequences of environmental destruction can persist for generations after hostilities have ended.
Referring to environmental damage resulting from recent attacks by the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran, the president cited assessments indicating that attacks on fuel facilities in Asaluyeh generated approximately 500,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. He added that attacks on fuel storage tanks around Tehran resulted in the release of another one million tons of carbon dioxide.
Pezeshkian said such damage directly contradicts international efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, stressing the need for stronger international mechanisms to document the environmental consequences of military actions, prevent their recurrence and ensure accountability for those responsible.
The president also highlighted Iran's progress in developing clean energy, stating that the country's renewable electricity generation capacity had increased from approximately 1,250 megawatts to more than 6,150 megawatts over the past two years.
He added that clean electricity generation had exceeded 4.5 billion kilowatt-hours in the current year, helping prevent the release of approximately 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide.
Emphasizing that the Earth is a shared heritage that must be protected for future generations, Pezeshkian stated: "Peace is a prerequisite for environmental protection, and environmental protection is a prerequisite for lasting peace."
He reaffirmed the Islamic Republic of Iran's readiness to engage in fair and responsible international cooperation to protect the environment.
The full text of the president's speech reads as follows:
In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
Excellencies,
Distinguished Heads of Government and Delegations,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
First, I would like to thank the government and people of the friendly and brotherly Republic of Türkiye for their gracious hospitality.
This conference is taking place at a time when the world needs, more than ever, to reconsider the concepts of shared responsibility, climate justice and the inseparable link between peace and the environment.
Today, we cannot speak of the future of the Earth while turning a blind eye to wars that target soil, water, air, natural resources and human life. The environment is the silent victim of wars, and the consequences of its destruction persist for generations after conflicts have ended.
The recent criminal and illegal aggression by the United States and the Zionist regime against Iran, in addition to causing extensive human and economic losses, inflicted serious damage on the environment and released enormous quantities of pollutants and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
According to assessments conducted, the attack on fuel facilities in Asaluyeh resulted in the emission of approximately 500,000 tons of carbon dioxide, while the deliberate attack on fuel storage tanks around Tehran caused the release of one million tons of carbon dioxide.
This is a clear and alarming contradiction.
While the international community is working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change, large-scale military operations, through fuel consumption, ammunition explosions, infrastructure destruction and widespread fires, destroy the achievements of years of climate and environmental efforts.
It is also deeply regrettable that recent attacks targeted protected areas and environmental ranger stations. Attacks on these areas constitute an assault on the shared heritage of present and future generations.
Our martyred Leader, may God's boundless mercy be upon him, emphasized, in recognition of the importance of the environment, that the use of unconventional weapons, including nuclear weapons, constitutes the destruction of harth and nasl — meaning the destruction of crops, life, human beings and future generations.
This Quranic expression, in fact, reflects a fundamental approach to the environment: No power has the right, in the name of security or military superiority, to place the foundations of life on Earth at risk of destruction.
Accordingly, we call for stronger mechanisms to document these actions by the United States and the Zionist regime, prevent their recurrence and hold those responsible accountable.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Despite unjust sanctions and being deprived of access to international financial resources and technologies, the Islamic Republic of Iran has continued its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and develop clean energy.
In this regard, the country's renewable power generation capacity has increased from approximately 1,250 megawatts to more than 6,150 megawatts over the past two years.
In the current year, clean electricity generation has exceeded 4.5 billion kilowatt-hours, preventing the emission of approximately 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide.
These achievements demonstrate that Iran's national determination to protect the climate has not been halted, even under the most difficult economic conditions and during war.
We expect the international community and responsible organizations to establish a meaningful connection between climate commitments in peacetime and responsibilities during wartime, and to strengthen compensation mechanisms by documenting the environmental damage caused by military aggression.
In conclusion, I would like to emphasize the following points:
The Earth is not the heritage of a single nation or a single generation. We have received it in trust from previous generations, and we must pass it on to future generations in a healthier and safer condition.
Peace is a prerequisite for environmental protection, and environmental protection is a prerequisite for lasting peace.
The Islamic Republic of Iran stands ready to engage in fair, responsible and mutually reinforcing cooperation to protect the environment.
Thank you for your attention.
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