Air pollution - National Responses (Estonia)

The Riigikogu approved the Estonian Environmental Strategy 2030 on 14 February 2007.

http://www.envir.ee/orb.aw/class=file/action=preview/id=1104361/inglisekeelneStrateegia.pdf

The Strategy 2030 aims to define long-term development trends for maintaining a good status of the natural environment, while keeping in mind the links between the environment, economic and social spheres and their impacts on the natural environment and people.

The main objectives and measures in the area of climate change mitigation and quality of ambient air are:

Energy and energy consumption

• by 2015 the share of oil shale in the production of electricity should be less than 90 %;
• by 2015 the share of electricity produced from renewable energy sources and consumed in Estonia should increase to at least 8 %;
• by 2020 the share of electricity produced in combined heat and power plants and consumed in Estonia should increase to at least 20 %;
• energy consumption per unit of GDP in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP): primary energy consumption should remain at the 2003 level (20.0 TJ per PPP) until 2010:
• losses in the distribution network should fall to 8 % by 2009 and remain at this level at least until 2015.

Transport

• elaboration and implementation of a system of regulations and benefits for development of public transport and ‘soft’ traffic;
• long-term planning of the development of sustainable and integrated transport, including formulating a regional policy that contributes to the reduction of commuting and road transport, and increasing the functions of settlements and reducing commuting through habitation plans;
• increasing society’s awareness and guiding its attitude towards sustainable transport and city planning, including increasing the attractiveness of sustainable modes of transport;
• elaboration of regulations for reducing energy consumption in transport and reducing the use of fossil fuels.

The environment, health and quality of life

• development of a monitoring and information system for outdoor environmental factors that affect health, and publication of data;
• development of a system for assessment and control of health hazards, to reduce and mitigate long-term environment-related health risks;
• formulation of regulations, instructions and action plans for mitigation of health risks in the urban environment;
• increasing the knowledge of specialists and people about the health risks posed by the outdoor environment.

Various national programmes such as the Long Term Public Fuel and Energy Sector Development Plan until 2015 (http://www.mkm.ee/index.php?id=334262) and the Transport Development Plan (http://www.mkm.ee/index.php?id=338986) provide measures to reduce impacts on human health and ecosystems.

The draft Action Plan for the improvement of Tallinn city ambient air quality contains various measures for the reduction of particulate emissions, which are a serious source of air pollution in Tallinn.