Estonia sets high sustainability goals, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 70% by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The country has been living up to the hype, already having been mentioned as one of the most effective energy transition destinations, and also having Europe’s cleanest air. Now, one more indicator comes in.
According to the latest data released by Eurostat on May 15, 2025, Estonia emerged as the EU’s standout performer in reducing greenhouse gas emissions last year, achieving an impressive 11.3% reduction in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
The achievement comes against a concerning backdrop, as greenhouse gas emissions in the EU as a whole increased by 2.2% during the same period, reaching 897 million tonnes of CO₂-equivalents.
Estonia’s success is also impressive in other ways. It managed to decrease emissions while simultaneously growing its GDP, demonstrating effective decoupling of economic growth from carbon emissions. Only five other EU countries managed to reduce their emissions during this period, with Finland (-6.1%) and Sweden (-2.3%) showing the next best results after Estonia.
By contrast, most EU member states saw increases in emissions, with households (+5.2%) and the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply sector (+4.6%) being the primary contributors to the overall rise across the continent.
Estonia’s achievement aligns with the European Climate Law’s ambitious targets of a 55% net reduction in emissions by 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050. And its ambitions are even higher, with preparations for a potential nuclear energy introduction, extensive wind & solar farm installations, and energy storage solutions.
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