OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Estonia 2017
OECD Environmental Performance Reviews provide independent assessments of countries’ progress towards their environmental policy objectives. Reviews promote peer learning, enhance government accountability, and provide targeted recommendations aimed at improving environmental performance, individually and collectively. They are supported by a broad range of economic and environmental data, and evidence-based analysis. Each cycle of Environmental Performance Reviews covers all OECD countries and selected partner economies. The most recent reviews include Chile and France (2016).
This report is the first Environmental Performance Review of Estonia. It evaluates progress towards sustainable development and green growth, with a focus on waste and materials management, and mining and the environment.
Key environmental trends
Estonia has made significant progress in improving its environmental performance by decoupling economic growth from the primary environmental pressures. However, it still faces some challenges linked to the extensive use of natural resources, which results in high emissions intensities and low material productivity of the economy. This chapter presents the key socio-economic developments and considers Estonia’s progress in moving towards a low-carbon and energy-efficient economy, resource efficiency and sustainable management of natural assets, including biodiversity and water resources.