Interpellation regarding the Development Plan for the Environmental Sector 2030 (No. 492)
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 3rd session, plenary sitting
Date: 2024-01-22 17:56
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 14
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 13m
AI Summaries: 14/14 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The Riigikogu today addressed an inquiry submitted by Riigikogu members Tõnis Mölder, Vadim Belobrovtsev, and Lauri Laats concerning the current status of the Environmental Sector Development Plan 2030 (KEVAD). The members who submitted the inquiry, led by Tõnis Mölder (Wl8lkzLfKok), expressed concern over the stalling of the development plan's preparation, especially given that the forestry development plan has also been delayed. The purpose of the inquiry was to obtain clarification from Climate Minister Kristen Michal regarding KEVAD's current phase, how stakeholders are being involved, and when the document will be presented to Parliament. Minister Michal explained that due to the establishment of the Ministry of Climate and the reorganization of ministerial work, a comprehensive harmonization of the strategic planning system is underway. The goal is to create fewer and more compact development plans to avoid duplication across sectors. Michal announced that the reorganization of the ministry's result areas and the new framework for development plans will be finalized in the spring of 2024, which is why he does not deem it necessary to approve KEVAD 2030 in its current form. He confirmed that KEVAD addresses the coordinating level of climate policy and is linked to Estonia's 2030 and 2050 climate goals, highlighting four main lines of action and specific metrics. During follow-up questions, the focus briefly shifted to electric vehicle charging infrastructure and the resilience of the electricity grid in densely populated areas.
Decisions Made 1
No official decision was adopted during the interpellation. The Climate Minister provided explanations regarding the process of updating the government's strategic planning and development plans.
Most Active Speaker
The most active politician assigned a speaker ID was Tõnis Mölder. He was the submitter and rapporteur for the interpellation, representing the opposition (the questioners also included Vadim Belobrovtsev and Lauri Laats). Mölder presented five specific questions regarding the status of the development plan and also asked the minister a follow-up question concerning the deadline for submitting the forestry development plan to the Riigikogu.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Riigikogu is debating the interpellation concerning the 2030 environmental sector development plan, which was submitted by Tõnis Möldri, Vadim Belobrovtsev, and Lauri Laats.
Tõnis Mölder
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Tõnis Mölder stated that in May of last year, an interpellation was submitted concerning the Environmental Sector Development Plan 2030, and five questions were posed to the minister. These questions addressed the phase, the form and timeline of stakeholder involvement, the presentation of the interim and final documents, the plan for coalition endorsement, and how the development plan relates to Estonia’s 2030 climate interim targets and the main objectives for 2050.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar asked Climate Minister Kristen Michal to return to the Riigikogu rostrum to answer the interpellation.
Kliimaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Answering an interpellation before the Riigikogu (Parliament), Climate Minister Kristen Michal stated that during the preparation of the KEVAD development plan, ministerial sectors will be consolidated into a unified system, interested stakeholders will be involved, and following the reorganization that will take place in the spring of 2024, it will become clear how many development plans will be submitted to the parliament. KEVAD sets four main pillars: coordinating sectoral contributions, integrating adaptation, creating an environment and support services that facilitate the achievement of climate goals, and ensuring reliable data. It also defines metrics such as the proportion of residents' climate-friendly choices, net CO2 equivalent emissions, and the goal of linking emission allocation and LULUCF (Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry) sequestration, all of which lead toward the 2030 and 2050 targets.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar offered his thanks, invited the audience to ask questions, and requested Tõnis Mölder to present his question.
Tõnis Mölder
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
He emphasized that the Climate Act is comprehensive and that the development plan consolidates the state’s strategic directions, and he asked when the forestry development plan would be brought to the plenary session, given that a development plan for this sector has been missing since 2020.
Kliimaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Climate Minister Kristen Michal stated that the forestry development plan and related legislative amendments establish sector-specific objectives within the scope of the Climate Act, along with corresponding climate policy metrics. These metrics include the share of climate-friendly choices made by residents (baseline 2021: 47%; target 2030: 70%), net greenhouse gas emissions in CO2 equivalent (baseline 1990: 37,000 kt; target 2035: 8,000 kt), sectors covered by the effort sharing distribution (baseline 2005: slightly over 6,000 kt; target 2030: approximately 4,700 kt), and the LULUCF sequestration target (baseline: 2016–2018 average; target: –434 kt CO2e by 2030).
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Next, Mart Maastik will speak.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Maastik brought up the Kia EV9 as an example and said that charging it from a standard grid takes about 40 hours and 33 minutes. This requires a 380-volt network and a main breaker of at least 32 amps, and if these electric cars are plugged into the grid all at once, the network won't be able to handle the load.
Kliimaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Climate Minister Kristen Michal said that the growth of electric vehicles is starting, and large-scale charging infrastructure is being built in Estonia and the Baltics, adding that even in densely populated areas, charging one car is manageable for the electricity grid.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Hussar invited Siim Pohlak to the stage.
Siim Pohlak
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Siim Pohlak highlighted that Mart Maastik’s question remained unanswered. He illustrated the preference for overnight electric vehicle charging using the example of an apartment building in Mustamäe and asked whether any models have been developed concerning the growing impact of the number of EVs on the network of Tallinn’s residential districts over the next two years.
Kliimaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Climate Minister Kristen Michal stated that initial assessments show that cars charging overnight won't require substation upgrades, and the infrastructure is expanding. Nevertheless, we will need to look at the role of apartment associations and the opportunities for private operators in the future, and society is prepared to handle the growing load.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman thanked the Minister, stated that there were no further questions, subsequently opened the debate, noted there were no requests to speak, closed the debate, and concluded the consideration of today's second agenda item.