In an appearance on ERR's "Otse uudistemajast" on Wednesday, Lahe admitted that the climate situation looks bad.

"There's no point sticking your head in the sand," she said. "Of course it's difficult to explain this abstract issue to the people living in the Nordic region, because we have four seasons, we have a good climate, no heatwaves and there's snow on the ground. And then this climate issue seems out of place. But look at even Southern Europe, at Italy and Spain, for example, which are experiencing major heatwaves that for years already have already claimed tens of thousands of lives."

On one hand, people have to adapt to climate change, the MP said, but it's also necessary to make countries' infrastructure climate resilient, as climate disasters have a very significant economic impact.

Urban spaces are also important in the context of climate in Estonia as well, and it is important to consider how Estonian cities are built so that they can withstand heatwaves and flooding. "There is a lot to be done," she acknowledged.

According to Lahe, understanding in Estonia of the climate crisis varies from person to person.

"I believe everyone, including all parliamentary parties, are interested in a clean living environment in Estonia," she said. "That it would be a favorable and comfortable place to live. The green transition will guarantee all of this for us too."

The MP also said that the current ruling coalition – consisting of Reform, Eesti 200 and the Social Democratic Party (SDE) – has done a good job making Estonia's current climate policy ambitious.

"Climate policy is challenging because it affects all other matters too," she explained. "War has a major impact on the environment, and we must also take climate impacts into account when supporting Ukraine. Should Ukraine be accepted into the EU, then the former must be rebuilt taking climate policy objectives into consideration as well. So that it is rebuilt greener, to ensure that it is climate-proof and resilient."

According to Lahe, security is likewise intrinsically linked to climate policy, when considering, for example, energy security i.e. that the country would have a robust energy portfolio.

"Economic activity must remain within the limits of the planet," she stressed. "If you look at consumption, it has increased over the years – this is a problem because we are living beyond our means. Here is where the state has a crucial role in regulations, such as when it comes to procurements. We can do everything much cleaner and greener – that is also what consumers expect today."

The Reform MP noted that hiking all kinds of environmental fees is important as businesses need to understand that they must start working toward cleaner management.

"That is the direction we're going in," Lahe stressed. "We have a choice in Estonia whether to lead these changes or drag behind, which end up costing us dearly later."

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