Estonian low carbon strategy until 2050, officially named "General Principles of Climate Policy until 2050"

The Parliament of Estonia approved a low carbon strategy moving towards long-term emission reduction target- to reduce the emission of GHG by 80% by 2050 in comparison with the emission levels of 1990. The Estonian low carbon strategy is a vision document that sets a long term greenhouse gas emissions reduction target and policy guidelines for adjusting with the impact of climate change or ensuring the preparedness and resilience to react to the impact of climate change.

Principles and guidelines in the documents have to be taken into account when renewing and implementing the cross-sectoral and sectoral strategies and national development plans. Estonia will be transformed into an attractive environment mainly for the development of innovative technologies, products and services reducing the emission of GHG. In addition, the export and global implementation of such technologies, products and services shall be facilitated for the resolution of global problems.

The general sectoral policy guidelines and principles of low-carbon strategy include:

• Efficient interaction of the system as a whole when planning energy consumption centres and new production capacities.
• Facilitating the implementation of technologies with a low emission factor of CO2 and efficient use of resources in manufacturing processes.
• Considering economy and energy efficiency of the system as a whole when renovating the existing building stock and planning and constructing new buildings.
• Considering economy and energy efficiency when planning, building, managing and reconstructing grids within energy systems with the aim of achieving maximum energy and resource efficiency.
• Moving towards enhancing energetic value and the production of products with higher additional value to minimise the GHG emission in the oil shale treatment process in a way that does not entail an increase in other negative environmental impacts.
• Directing major participants in the energy and industry sectors towards a successful and cost-efficient reduction of GHG emissions while continuing the use of market based mechanisms.
• Ensuring energy security and security of supply with a gradual wider exploitation of domestic renewable energy sources in all sectors of final consumption with a view to increase the welfare of the society.
• Facilitating a well-functioning transportation system and reducing forced traffic through the integration of the planning of settlements and transportation and the design and implementation of mobility plans.
• Influencing the purchase of economical vehicles and sustainable alternative fuels through investments and tax policies of the public sector.
• Prioritising the development of public transportation, non-motorised traffic and energy efficient carriage of goods.
• Increasing and maintaining soil’s carbon stock including developing and maintaining significant carbon stock of land areas.
• Encouraging efficient and ecological use of agricultural land while avoiding the falling out of agricultural use of such land.
• Enhancing the use of plant nutrients and replacement of mineral fertilisers with organic fertilisers and eco-friendly soil conditioners.
• Enhancing the production of bioenergy and using it in energy intensive manufacturing processes.
• Increasing the productivity of agriculture, with the focus on eco-friendlier manure management for limiting ammonia emissions.
• Increasing forest growth and the carbon sequestration ability through productive and sustainable forest management.
• Consistently enhancing timber use and increasing the carbon stock in timber products and buildings.
• Facilitating preservation of the current forest land and in other categories of land while preferring techniques of increasing carbon sequestration and emission reduction.
• Avoiding further drainage of mires and restoring near-natural water regimes in drained peat lands.
• Continuing the reduction of waste generation and making the separate collection of waste more efficient.
• Facilitating research, development and innovation that will help to increase the development of efficient energy technologies, renewable energy production technologies, sustainable transportation and mobility, sustainable agriculture, carbon sequestration in forestry and finding alternative uses for timber will be preferred.

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