Latvia’s cohesion policy at a crossroads: Balancing security priorities and green investments
May 14, 2025
Latvia is rethinking how it allocates its EU cohesion policy funds, as growing security concerns linked to the regional geopolitical climate put pressure on previously agreed green investment priorities. But will this shift towards national defence undermine the country’s long-term environmental and climate goals?
What’s holding back community energy in Estonia’s just transition region?
March 5, 2025
Community energy and energy cooperatives in Estonia are still in the early stages of development, but interest in the field is growing steadily. In recent years, several small cooperatives have been established, with some communities taking the initiative to develop solar and wind energy projects. However, in the county of Ida–Viru, the heart of Estonia’s just transition, there are no fully functioning renewable energy cooperatives to inspire and mobilise local communities.
Bridging the mobility gap: Tackling transport poverty in rural Latvia
October 2, 2024
On 18 September, I and my fellow colleagues from the Latvian-based environmental organisation Green Liberty teamed up with a researcher from Riga Technical University to visit Viļāni, a small town in eastern Latvia. We met with 20 local people to discuss issues with transport poverty.
The promise and perils of Georgia’s East–West Highway project
May 2, 2024
Georgia’s East-West Highway construction project, once heralded as a symbol of progress and splendour, has been marred by controversies.
Clearcutting chaos: A bumpy ride for Estonia’s conservation areas
April 15, 2024
Rail Baltica, the ambitious railway project set to connect the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania as part of Europe’s modern rail network, promises to boost regional development and integration. However, despite assurances of habitat protection and compensation measures during the construction of Rail Baltica, recent revelations on clearcutting in protected areas have exposed longstanding issues with Estonian forests. The case also highlights the broader challenges faced by nature when economic development takes precedence and the need for proper environmental safeguards against economic interests.
Protecting the biodiversity of Estonia’s agricultural landscapes
December 6, 2023
The case study demonstrates some of the many ways EU funds can and should be used to support nature restoration and conservation projects. These are instrumental to address the biodiversity crisis across sectors.
Estonia’s REPowerEU chapter: civil society excluded from decision-making on energy transition investments
June 7, 2023
The European Commission has approved amendments to Estonia’s recovery and resilience plan and its newly added REPowerEU chapter. The country is determined to accelerate the energy transition, but more transparency is needed if it is to succeed.
Latvia abandons plans for controversial LNG terminal but still needs to ditch fossil gas
April 12, 2023
Latvia’s government announced yesterday (11 April) it is terminating plans for a liquified fossil gas (commonly termed liquified natural gas or LNG) terminal in Skulte.
Nuclear ambitions risk hindering Estonia’s energy transition
April 5, 2023
The Estonian government is considering pumping money into controversial nuclear power. Instead, it should strengthen its efforts to ensure a resilient, fully renewable and decentralised energy infrastructure.
LNG rush threatens Baltic energy transition: why new LNG infrastructure is a false solution for energy security in the Baltics
March 14, 2023
As a result of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Baltic states and Finland, which had relied on Russia for fossil gas imports, now lack sufficient alternative infrastructure to cover regional demand. The main efforts to diversify gas sources and reduce regi
