The central goal of the study commissioned by the Commission for Sustainable Development (Säästva Arengu Instituut) and conducted by the University of Tartu University of Tartu - Tartu Ülikool is an Estonian higher education institute. Implementation Center was to find out the role of local government in the implementation of the climate politics in Estonia.
The survey revealed that the biggest challenges for local governments are related to the implementation of green policy in the fields of activity - the implementation of strategic visions and green principles in traffic management, road construction or landscaping requirements or practical solutions.
In addition, the wider adoption of digital and technical solutions that increase resource efficiency (e.g. remote lists, energy use regulators) and increasing their role in increasing residents' environmental awareness are seen as important development needs. Local governments definitely have to develop more the organization of waste collection and recycling.
The survey revealed that the green policy activities of most local governments are characterized by inconsistency and haphazardness. Infrastructure investment projects resulting from national guidelines and covered by support measures are mostly being implemented (such as building light traffic roads, renewing street lighting, changing district heating energy sources, renovating systems, etc.), but this is not understood at the local level as part of the green turn.
According to Environment Minister Madis Kallas Madis Kallas is an Estoniani politician. , who opened the presentation event of the study, we need to be aware of how our daily decisions and actions affect the environment around us - both in state management, in the organization of local life, as companies and individuals. "The Green Agreement is not something separate, on the contrary, it concerns everything and everyone. Municipalities have already taken many important steps in the right direction. In communities, we can think more about how the Green Agreement is related to all strategic decisions, budget and management," Kallas commented.
"Local governments are key to creating comfortable and modern living conditions for people," said Minister of Public Administration Riina Solman Riina Solman is an Estonian politician. . "However, it is increasingly important to pay attention to the fact that, in addition to people's well-being, the planning of the living environment is also in line with an environmentally friendly approach. Both the local residents, who can enjoy the green urban or municipal space, and our climate health as a whole will benefit from this. It is commendable that such comprehensive and practical guidelines have been created for municipalities on how to best manage this area. The Ministry of Finance's website minuomavalitsus.ee has a good overview of how many municipalities already pay very careful attention to these important topics today. I hope that the created instructional material will help even more municipalities to decipher this topic for themselves, because in the current security and energy crisis, wasting resources is not beneficial to anyone."
Check out the webpage of your local municipality: https://minuomavalitsus.fin.ee/en