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.
Needs and priorities for biodiversity funding: a comparative analysis of Latvia and Estonia
February 22, 2024
This briefing provides an overview of the priorities for national biodiversity needs in Latvia and Estonia.
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.
Is Estonia doing enough to reach 100 per cent renewable electricity, and can it do even more with the help of REPowerEU?
November 21, 2022
On 12 October, Estonia’s parliament adopted a new renewable electricity target of 100 per cent by 2030. The strategic use of EU cohesion and recovery funds in Estonia will help reach that goal, and the additional EUR 83.4 million from REPowerEU has the potential to do even more.
100 per cent renewable electricity is a realistic and necessary target for Estonia and Europe
October 19, 2022
Estonia’s parliament adopted a new renewable electricity target of 100 per cent by 2030. This is a huge leap forward, indicating the necessity of strong political will to carry out the green transition and meet climate goals on time.
Status of the Territorial Just Transition Plans in central and eastern Europe: July 2021 update
July 8, 2021
This briefing is the third in our series of updates on the Territorial Just Transition Plan (TJTP) preparation process in seven central and eastern European (CEE) countries: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.
Estonia’s EU recovery fund measures are promising yet potentially obstructive
April 20, 2021
Estonia has good intentions to use the recovery fund to become more resilient while supporting the green transition. However, these intentions are overshadowed by uncertainty and lack of scrutiny, as there is no publicly available strategic framework to bring all of the plan’s measures together, and many measures proposed could in fact undermine the European Green Deal.
Controversial plans for Estonian shale oil pre-refinery cancelled
July 31, 2020
But will leaders take this opportunity to support a meaningful just transition?
Estonian government shale oil goals contradict EU agreements
May 12, 2020
24 European civil society organizations have sent an inquiry to the European Commission pointing out that the Estonian government’s plan to expand its shale oil industry contradicts international climate and environmental agreements the government has signed with the European Union.
Moving beyond oil shale in Estonia
April 15, 2020
A new study commissioned by a coalition of NGOs including Bankwatch member Estonia Green Movement that analyzed the different European and Estonian funds in place or under development that could be useful for the transition, the existing plans Estonia has in place and policy recommendations from international best practises.
