809 On the Future of the Climate Law
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 6th Session, Plenary Sitting
Date: 2025-10-13 21:51
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 36
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 36m
AI Summaries: 36/36 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The Riigikogu debated the interpellation (No. 809) submitted to Andres Sutt, the Minister of Energy and Environment, concerning the future of the Climate Law. The interpellation was submitted by Tiit Maran, Züleyxa Izmailova, Tanel Kiik, Riina Sikkut, and Heljo Pikhof. Tiit Maran, the representative of the questioners, criticized the long delay in drafting the law and the shift in focus. He recalled that the Climate Law was originally a central theme of the coalition, and public consultations were promised by June 2024. Instead, a significantly narrower draft bill—the "Climate-Resilient Economy Law"—was presented in August 2024. In Maran's assessment, this draft did not meet international obligations and practically ignored the adaptation aspect (preparing the population for inevitable changes). Maran also highlighted the confusion that arose after the change of government in 2025, where Minister Sutt initially expressed doubt about the introduction of a single law but later confirmed it.
Minister Andres Sutt confirmed that climate policy remains a government priority, emphasizing the impact of climate change (e.g., the exceptionally heavy precipitation in the summer of 2025). He explained that the new Climate-Resilient Economy Law is a short, specific, and realistic framework law that sets nationwide and sector-specific emission reduction targets. A significant difference from the previous draft is that the implementing details will be moved into sectoral roadmaps, which will be prepared in cooperation with stakeholders and should be finalized by the end of the year. Sutt stressed that this approach ensures flexibility and allows for avoiding constant amendments to the law. The Minister promised that the draft bill would reach the Riigikogu for proceedings during the current year. Follow-up questions addressed the unfairness of LULUCF (land use) requirements and the process of changing them at the EU level, as well as the potential relaxation of emission reduction targets, which the Minister denied, confirming the commitment to the goal of climate neutrality by 2050.
Decisions Made 1
No decisions were made
Most Active Speaker
Tiit Maran (0b6LzlbxM-Q) was the most active speaker, presenting the introduction to the query, asking clarifying questions, and delivering the closing statement during the debate, where he criticized the underrepresentation of adaptation topics and warned against the project being forgotten. His position is opposition (other).
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Toomas Kivimägi announced that the Riigikogu had reached the seventh item on the agenda, which was an interpellation (No. 809) submitted by several members of parliament, led by Tiit Maran, to the Minister of Energy and Environment, Andres Sutt, concerning the future of the Climate Law. He then asked Tiit Maran to come to the podium for the presentation.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Vice-Chairman Toomas Kivimägi introduced, as the seventh item on the agenda, Interpellation No. 809 concerning the future of the Climate Act, which was submitted to the Minister of Energy and Environment Andres Sutt by Riigikogu members Tiit Maran, Züleyxa Izmailova, Tanel Kiik, Riina Sikkut, and Heljo Pikhof. He then invited Riigikogu member Tiit Maran to the podium to deliver the report.
Tiit Maran
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Tiit Maran has sharply criticized the government for the significant disarray and constant procrastination surrounding the adoption of the Climate Law. This legislation was initially promised as the coalition's central theme and the launchpad for the "green revolution." Despite multiple missed deadlines (originally June 2024) and conflicting assurances from ministers, the law has still not been presented (as of October). Moreover, the intermediate draft—which significantly lowered the original ambitions—was defective concerning both emission reduction targets and the population's ability to adapt to climate change, leading to doubts about whether climate change mitigation remains a priority for the current government.
Tiit Maran
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Tiit Maran describes the long and perplexing process of creating the Climate Law, which was the coalition’s original central promise but has been repeatedly postponed from June 2024 to the autumn of 2025. He alleges that the submitted draft was flawed, failed to meet international obligations, deferred emission reductions into the future, and ignored adaptation. Furthermore, the minister’s contradictory statements have raised doubts about whether climate measures are still a priority for the government.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Toomas Kivimägi highlighted the rule, noting that, unfortunately, additional time is not provided for in this specific situation.
Tiit Maran
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Tiit Maran demanded a comprehensive explanation from the minister regarding the bill’s preparation process, specifically focusing on the plan for engaging communities and stakeholders, the scope of adaptation issues addressed, and requesting a concrete timeline for when the draft legislation would reach the Riigikogu.
Tiit Maran
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Tiit Maran wants to know the plans for preparing the draft act, asking the minister how the involvement of communities and interest groups will be ensured, the extent to which adaptation issues will be addressed, and when the bill is expected to reach the Riigikogu.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Toomas Kivimägi thanked the listeners and gave the floor to the Minister of Environment and Energy, Andres Sutt, who was prepared to answer the questions posed by the interpellators.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Toomas Kivimägi thanked the audience and subsequently gave the floor to Andres Sutt, the Minister of Energy and Environment, who was once again prepared to answer questions from the interpellators.
Energeetika- ja keskkonnaminister Andres Sutt
AI Summary
Minister of Energy and Environment Andres Sutt confirmed that climate policy remains a government priority, emphasizing the need for swift and systemic action, and introduced a new, concise, and realistic draft bill for the Climate-Resilient Economy Act. This bill sets concrete emission reduction targets but delegates the implementation details to sectoral roadmaps, the preparation of which involves extensive stakeholder engagement, with the aim of submitting the draft bill to the Riigikogu (Parliament) within the current year.
Energeetika- ja keskkonnaminister Andres Sutt
AI Summary
Minister of Energy and Environment Andres Sutt confirmed that climate policy and adaptation to climate change remain a continuous priority for the government, highlighting a new, shorter, and more realistic draft bill for a climate-proof economy, which focuses on concrete emission reduction targets while delegating implementation details to sectoral roadmaps; these roadmaps will be developed in close cooperation with stakeholders to ensure a comprehensive overview and feasibility, and the draft bill will be submitted to the Riigikogu (Parliament) later this year, while the government simultaneously directs investments toward increasing resilience and implementing lower-emission solutions in transport, buildings, and the energy sector.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller concluded his brief introduction with thanks, acknowledging that questions had been raised, and then yielded the floor to the next speaker, Tiit Maran.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller thanked the previous speaker and gave the floor to Tiit Maran, noting that the latter had a question to ask.
Tiit Maran
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Tiit Maran commends the minister but raises a question regarding the process within the European Commission for amending the unfair LULUCF requirements related to land use. He expresses concern that Estonia has begun negotiations without official positions confirmed by the European Union Affairs Committee, which is contrary to standard procedure.
Tiit Maran
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Tiit Maran raises the question of the unfairness of the LULUCF requirements related to land use for Estonia, and asks the minister to explain how Estonia can pursue the process of amending these requirements and represent its positions at the European Commission level, given that official positions have not been confirmed by the European Union Affairs Committee.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice-Chairman Arvo Aller confined himself to just a brief procedural indication, yielding the floor to the next speaker so that they could utilize their allotted time.
Energeetika- ja keskkonnaminister Andres Sutt
AI Summary
Minister of Energy and Environment Andres Sutt confirms that his activities comply with the mandate of the Riigikogu and explains the complexity of meeting the LULUCF targets, noting that although the targets are necessary, they require realistic negotiation and approach due to the differing circumstances of member states, since, for example, solutions from other countries are not suitable for Estonia, a forest-rich country, which is why it is important to find objective and achievable solutions.
Energeetika- ja keskkonnaminister Andres Sutt
AI Summary
The Minister of Energy and Environment, Andres Sutt, confirms that his activities align with the mandate given by the Riigikogu and is focusing on the realistic achievement of LULUCF targets. He notes that while the targets are necessary, they were initially set without sufficient knowledge regarding the paths to implementation, which is why member states face varying issues. He stresses that solutions adopted by other countries are unsuitable for Estonia, being a forest-rich nation, making objective and flexible negotiation on the means of achieving these goals essential.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller gave the floor to Riina Sikkut.
Riina Sikkut
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Riina Sikkut does support the decision made two and a half years later to return to the original, short framework law concept of the Climate Act, but she is posing questions to the Prime Minister regarding both his support and the possible loosening of the emission reduction targets in the new version of the law.
Riina Sikkut
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Riina Sikkut supports a return to the original idea of a short, specific framework act for the climate law, an idea the Reform Party had previously abandoned in favor of a comprehensive law. She asks the Prime Minister whether he supports this approach and whether the emission reduction targets have been relaxed in the new version.
Energeetika- ja keskkonnaminister Andres Sutt
AI Summary
Energy and Environment Minister Andres Sutt confirmed that the preparation of the Climate-Resilient Economy Act is the result of two years of collaborative work, and the Prime Minister supports this approach. Sutt emphasized that the level of ambition has not been reduced and the 2050 climate neutrality target remains firmly in place. He explained that, in addition to the targets themselves, a roadmap and a review clause are also crucial, as these allow activities to be adjusted during the working process to achieve the final goal, while simultaneously acknowledging that LULUCF continues to be the greatest challenge.
Energeetika- ja keskkonnaminister Andres Sutt
AI Summary
Minister of Energy and Environment Andres Sutt emphasizes that the preparation of the Climate-Resilient Economy Act is the result of two years of collaborative work, confirming that the level of ambition has not been lowered and the 2050 climate neutrality goal remains firmly in place. He explains that besides setting goals, it is crucial to show the path—the roadmap—which can be flexibly adjusted as part of the working process, and acknowledges that although they are moving along the right trajectory, the biggest challenge is LULUCF.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller gave the floor to Züleyxa Izmailova, inviting her to the podium.
Züleyxa Izmailova
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Züleyxa Izmailova stressed that, unlike political views, climate phenomena are strictly governed by the laws of physics, and she asked the minister to clarify whether the current working version of the climate law would result in higher emissions compared to the previous one.
Züleyxa Izmailova
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Züleyxa Izmailova criticized the minister's emphasis on ideology in climate matters, noting that natural phenomena are governed by the laws of physics. She then asked specifically whether the current version of the climate law being drafted would result in an increase in emissions compared to the previous proposal.
Energeetika- ja keskkonnaminister Andres Sutt
AI Summary
Minister of Energy and Environment Andres Sutt declined to speculate on the numerical data of the question presented, in order to avoid giving an inaccurate answer, and promised to verify the figures and provide written confirmation regarding any potential changes.
Energeetika- ja keskkonnaminister Andres Sutt
AI Summary
Minister of Energy and Environment Andres Sutt refused to speculate on the numerical data of the question presented, fearing he might give an inaccurate answer, and promised to verify the figures and provide an exact written response regarding potential changes.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice-Chairman Arvo Aller concluded the round of questions, declared the discussions open, and first gave the floor to Tiit Maran.
Tiit Maran
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Tiit Maran expresses dissatisfaction over the ambiguity of the minister's responses, particularly concerning the positions on LULUCF. He stresses that meeting climate targets is impossible if the current economic model is maintained, citing examples such as the increased volume of logging and specific industry exemptions. He emphasizes the significance of the forest as both an ecosystem and a climate stabilizer, and sharply criticizes the absence of a national adaptation strategy for coping with inevitable climate changes. He fears that the process of drafting the climate law will result in inaction and neglect, which would lead to very severe consequences for Estonia.
Tiit Maran
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Tiit Maran voiced his dissatisfaction with the ambiguity of the answers provided, highlighting the inherent conflict between ambitious climate targets and the continued push for economic growth (particularly in forestry and industry). He stressed that forests are crucial carbon sinks and climate stabilizers. Furthermore, he sharply criticized the government's inertia regarding climate change adaptation and preparation for unforeseen disasters, expressing concern that the climate law process will ultimately be shelved and lead to genuine inaction.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller offered his thanks, asked the Minister if he wished to provide any clarifications, and subsequently gave him the floor.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
After a brief word of thanks, Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller granted the Minister the floor to provide clarifications or explanations, thereby moving the discussion forward.
Energeetika- ja keskkonnaminister Andres Sutt
AI Summary
Minister of Energy and Environment Andres Sutt confirmed the existence of the ELAK mandate concerning LULUCF issues and emphasized the ministry's efforts in preparing the legislation, noting that while climate change is an objective phenomenon, coping with it depends on one's worldview. He stressed the need to find common ground and supported the development of clean and modern industry, citing the VKG biorefinery as an example of how adding value to domestic timber can achieve a smaller climate footprint without conflicting with nature conservation.
Energeetika- ja keskkonnaminister Andres Sutt
AI Summary
Minister of Energy and Environment Andres Sutt confirmed that the ministry has put significant effort into preparing the draft bill, stressing that while climate change is an objective phenomenon, we must find common ground on the methods for tackling it. He stressed that clean and modern industry, such as a biorefinery that valorizes domestic timber, is a crucial component of adapting to climate change and does not conflict with nature conservation objectives.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice-Chairman Arvo Aller thanked the participants, closed the debate—as no further requests to speak were received—and announced that the seventh item on today's agenda had thus been successfully concluded.