ESTONIAN ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW 2009

4.2. Greenhouse gas emissions
and ozone layer protection
4.2.1. Legal background
The primary international legal acts governing the
field of climate change are the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change signed in 1992 (entered
into force in 1994) and the Kyoto Protocol adopted in 1997
(entered into force in 2005). One instrument in fulfilling
the objectives set forth in the latter is the greenhouse
emissions allowance trading system established by EU
directive 2003/87/EC. In Estonia, climate change issues
are governed by the Ambient Air Protection Act, the
2005 Government regulation “List of fields of activities
of operators and procedures for trading greenhouse
gas emission allowances”, the Government regulation
“Allowable total emissions of greenhouse gases from
stationary sources of pollution and National Allocation
Plan 2008–2012”, which entered into force in 2007, and
the Minister of the Environment regulation “Requirements
applicable to the application for greenhouse gas
emission allowance trading permit and content of the
trading permit, procedures for granting trading permits
and procedures for submitting reports on greenhouse
gas trading allowances, supervision and substantiation
of data”, which entered into force in 2005.
The first international environmental agreement on
the protection of the ozone layer is the 1985 Vienna
Convention (entered into force in 1988). It was the basis
for the start of negotiations for combating the use and
spread of chlorofluorocarbons. In 1987, representatives
from 31 countries signed an agreement – the Montreal
Protocol, which entered into force in 1989. Pursuant to
the agreement, only reclaimed or recovered partially
halogenated CFCs (HCFCs) may be used out starting
in 2010 and their use prohibited from 2015 on. Estonia
acceded to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of
the Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol Substances
that Deplete the Ozone Layer in 1996.
In addition to the Montreal Protocol and the Vienna
Convention, the use of substances that deplete the ozone
layer is governed by Regulation 2037/2000/EC of the
European Parliament and of the Council on Substances
that Deplete the Ozone Layer, which entered into force
in Estonia on 1 May 2004. Pursuant to this regulation, the
use of chlorofluorocarbons is prohibited as of 2004.
Internal legal acts that govern ozone issues include
the Ambient Air Protection Act and Government of the
Republic regulations “Requirements applicable to substances
that deplete the ozone layer” and the “Requirements
applicable to procedures related to substances
that deplete the ozone layer and procedures and format
for reporting quantities of substances that deplete the
ozone layer or fluorinated greenhouse gases contained
in equipment”.
4.2.2. Greenhouse gas emissions
The objective of the UN framework convention on
climate change is to bring about stabilization in the
atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases at a
level preventing human activity from having an impact
on climatic systems. Countries that have acceded to the
Kyoto Protocol have set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas
emissions in 2008–2012 from an average of 5% compared
to 1990; Estonia must reduce greenhouses emissions by
8% compared to the 1990 level.
The European Parliament adopted in 2008 the European
Union climate change package, the primary goal of which
is to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20%
(as the EU average) from 1990. Estonia is implementing
a greenhouse gas emissions unit trading system.
Economic restructuring in Estonia in the early 1990s
has resulted in a noteworthy drop in greenhouse emissions
(figure 4.4). Emissions are now one-half of 1990 levels.
This has made it favourable to achieve the Kyoto target
(38.6 million tonnes in CO 2
equivalent) in 2008–2012.
Each year all of the data in the greenhouse gases is supplemented
and updated, as a result of which the annual
emissions and, as a result, the Kyoto target expressed in
CO 2
equivalent, may change every year. Vigilance must
be paid to making sure Estonia can continue to keep
greenhouse gas emissions low in the future. Emissions
in 2007 rose 15% compared to 2006, which is primarily
due to the economic boom’s effect on the energy sector.
In the years ahead, the recession can be expected to curb
greenhouse gas emissions.
As in years past, the oil shale-based energy sector
generated the most greenhouse gases in 2007 (75%),
followed by the transport sector (12%) (figure 4.5).
To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and thereby
alleviate climate change, the objective of the Estonian
Environmental Strategy 2030 is to bring about, by 2015,
an increase in the share of electricity for domestic consumption
produced from renewable sources to at least
8%; and, by 2020, the share of electricity produced in
combined heat and power plants should increase to at
least 20%. The percentages currently achieved are still
quite low (figure 4.6).
The amount of electricity from renewable energy grows
each year as new wind farms are established. In 2007,
renewable electricity made up 1.5% of total consumption,
which is about 19% of the objective set for 2015.
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