Energy transition powers top spot in latest global environmental index
- Editorial Team SDG7
- Mar 4
- 2 min read
Estonia has taken first place in the 2024-2025 Environmental Performance Index (EPI), combining steep emissions reductions with long-established conservation laws and land management in which nature still dominates. The account provided presents the Baltic state as a benchmark for linking environmental outcomes with everyday quality of life, in line with the sustainable development goals.
A rapid shift in the electricity system
The primary explanation for Estonia’s climb is a sharp drop in emissions tied to moving away from burning oil shale, a historically central and highly polluting fuel. Over the past decade, the country is said to have cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by replacing oil shale plants with clean energy.
The text also sets out a commitment for 100% of electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030, describing this as the core of the recent leap in overall environmental performance.
Forest protection and wetland recovery
Almost half of Estonia is covered by forests, and the approach described relies on strengthened legal protection. By 2025, 20.8% of its terrestrial territory is under some form of official protection, and a more recent mandate requires 30% of all forests to be designated as protected areas.
Alongside forest policy, the account highlights large-scale restoration of former peat extraction fields, converting them back into functioning marshland ecosystems. It also says Estonia is among the few European countries where populations of large carnivores, including wolves, lynxes and bears, are increasing.
Environmental quality of life and farming practices
The measures are presented as having direct human impacts, particularly through air quality. Estonia is described as meeting the World Health Organization’s strictest standards and being listed in 2024-2025 as one of only seven countries with “truly clean air”.
In agriculture, the text says the country is close to a goal of having 25% of its farmland under organic production, while using some of the lowest amounts of chemical fertilisers in the European Union. Together, these factors reinforce a picture of air quality improvements alongside reduced environmental pressures from production and consumption.
Long roots and current initiatives
The account traces environmental awareness back to 1910, when Estonia created its first protected area, the Vaika islands, to protect birds. It adds that the green movement became central to national identity after independence, and attributes to the current government a motto that frames sustainability as a lifestyle rather than a policy.
Current initiatives for 2025-2026 include measures in Tallinn and Tartu, such as free or smart public transport designed to reduce the urban carbon footprint. A longer-term strategy aims for total CO2 neutrality in the energy and public transport sectors by 2040, built around expanding renewable electricity.
The source text does not identify specific non-governmental initiatives in Estonia, such as NGO, university, community, or private-sector programmes, so it is not possible to describe concrete projects without adding information not provided.
Further reading
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