The Estonian government received a mandate from the Riigikogu last December stating that it would only support the EU's 2040 climate targets in their current ambitious form if the necessary technology exists. Minister of Energy and the Environment Andres Sutt (Reform) told ERR that the government's position and mandate have not changed.

"In order for us to accept the 90 percent target, there must be flexibility, the necessary technologies and also a review clause. That means we need interim assessments to determine whether the 90 percent goal remains realistic. In addition, there must be a way to reallocate quota obligations between sectors," Sutt told ERR.

Several EU member states have already announced their opposition to the European Commission's proposal.

For example, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said the plan is unrealistic, would cause economic harm and cannot be sold to the public.

In Finland, a rift has also emerged within the governing coalition, as the Finns Party does not support the proposal in its current form.

Sutt, however, is not rushing to say "no." "If the first step is to say no, that doesn't help the process. What's more important is reaching a situation where these same conditions regarding technologies are clearly laid out. In that case, I think we could seek a new mandate, if needed. But if there's no new mandate from the Riigikogu, we obviously cannot support the European Commission's proposal," he said.

The minister stressed that for Estonia, it is crucial to ensure that the country does not commit to unachievable goals.

"This whole discussion — or rather, this opening up of how to reach these targets — actually reflects a greater maturity in climate policy. We're no longer saying we want to reach a certain level by a certain year without clarifying the conditions needed to achieve that," said Sutt.

He acknowledged, however, that reaching an agreement will be the subject of intense negotiations.

"Estonia's interest is to avoid taking on obligations that exceed our capacity. At the same time, we also want to ensure that neither our competitiveness nor Europe's broader competitiveness is undermined," Sutt emphasized.

He declined to speculate on how much more meeting the new and more ambitious target would cost taxpayers and private businesses.

"In any case, both businesses and the state need to make annual investments to stay competitive and to develop. The question is, which technologies are those investments going into — modern ones or trying to keep older technologies running," the minister said.

According to him, businesses don't typically make plans 15 years into the future anyway and technology prices are constantly changing — fortunately, mostly in the direction of becoming cheaper.

Estonia's position should be finalized by early fall. Negotiations with other member states will begin next week in Denmark, which currently holds the EU Council presidency.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook, Bluesky and X and never miss an update!