On April 9, a public hearing will be held in the Ministry of the Environment concerning the Strategic Environmental Assessment Report of the draft National Programme for Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2003-2012. The long-term objective of the National Programme is reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 21% by 2010 as compared with the 1999 emission level. This would include reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by 20%, reduction of methane emissions by 28%, and increase of nitrogen dioxide emissions by 9%. The main development goals which will, according to the Programme, have major influence on greenhouse gas emissions are increase of energy efficiency and reduction of energy-intensiveness of activities. According to Mr. Joel Valge, Chief Specialist of the Environmental Management and Technologies Department of the Ministry of the Environment, consumption of fossil fuels in Estonia has decreased approximately twofold in the last decade. This primarily reflects reduction of industrial production volumes as the level of technological changes in the enterprises and transfer to the use of best applicable techniques has been modest to date. Many enterprises still use technologies dating from the Soviet Union times and having 4-5 times higher energy consumption level than their modern analogues. "Reconstruction of the Baltic and Estonian Power Plants will be among the major steps enabling reduction of oil shale consumption and, consequently, reduction of negative environmental impacts related to the mining, processing, transport, and combustion of oil shale," said Mr. Valge. In addition to the efforts to be taken by Estonian enterprises, support will be provided in the framework of joint implementation agreements with other countries, according to Mr. Valge. "Another state will invest into environmentally sound technologies in Estonia and will thus obtain the right to the tons of greenhouse gas emissions which will have been avoided through such measures," Mr. Valge briefly described the nature of a joint implementation project. Last year, Estonia concluded the first of such agreements with Finland, a similar agreement with Denmark is currently under preparation. Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) concerning the National Programme was performed by Hendrikson & Ko Ltd. The aim of SEA was to identify the potential environmental impacts of the implementation of the National Programme - with focus on impacts to resource management, to generation of emissions and waste, to biological diversity, and to the social environment. The National Programme will, upon completion of the SEA report, need to be approved by the Government of Estonia. For additional information please contact: |
