
LULUCF: Ministrid tegid oma parima
LULUCF: Ministers Did Their Best
Eestil võib tekkida probleeme maakasutuse ja metsanduse sektoris EU kliimaeesmärkide täitmisel. Endised keskkonnaministrid ütlevad, et nad tegid oma ametiajal parima, mida teadmised ja aeg sel ajal võimaldasid.
Estonia may face challenges in meeting EU climate targets in the land use and forestry sectors. Former environment ministers say they did their best during their tenure, given the knowledge and time available at the time.
A year ago, ERR reported that Estonia would not be able to meet the EU climate target in the forestry and land use sectors (LULUCF). As a result, Estonia will likely have to purchase emission quotas worth tens or even hundreds of millions of euros. The second period (2026–2030) looks more positive in the future, but different rules apply for it. The LULUCF agreement was concluded in 2017. At that time, Estonia held the presidency of the Council of the European Union. The negotiations were led by Environment Minister Siim Kiisler. The agreement set the rules for accounting and setting targets in the LULUCF sector. Kiisler said that the agreement was good for Estonia at the time. In 2021, the LULUCF rules were revised. The European Commission increased the emission reduction target from 40% to 55%. These changes concerned the period 2026–2030. Estonia’s targets became stricter. Former Environment Minister Erki Savisaar said that Estonia’s reference years were incorrect. This made it difficult to meet the targets. He was skeptical about the new targets. The new Environment Minister Urmas Kruuse said that he tried to achieve more flexibility in the negotiations. According to him, it is easy to pontificate in hindsight, but in reality, it was difficult to change anything. It is likely that Estonia will not meet the LULUCF target for 2021–2025. To do so, Estonia will have to purchase emission quotas. Forecasts show that this could cost tens to hundreds of millions of euros.