Partnership helps Estonian public sector assess, reduce carbon footprint

This case study describes a partnership between the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and the Estonian government to develop a unified methodology and emissions factor database for assessing the environmental and carbon footprints of the public sector.

• SEI developed a first-of-its-kind emissions factor database and methodological approach for Estonia, allowing both public and private sector organizations to assess their environmental and carbon footprints on a uniform basis. This unified approach is intended to reduce the risk of greenwashing in reporting.
• The application of the assessment method by the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Interior provided a detailed overview of waste, fuel, water, heating, and electricity consumption. For the Ministry of Defence, 2021 data showed a 26% reduction in carbon footprint compared to 2019, an 18% decrease in water consumption per person, and a 10% decrease in waste generation per person, while separate waste collection increased from 38% to 47%.
• The Estonian government aims for all ministries to assess their footprints to create a comprehensive picture of the entire public sector's impact. The Ministry of Culture began using the methodology in 2022, and the tools are also designed to help organizations comply with the EU corporate sustainability reporting directive (CSRD).

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2023). Partnership helps Estonian public sector assess, reduce carbon footprint. https://www.sei.org/features/partnership-helps-estonian-public-sector-assess-reduce-carbon-footprint/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Partnership helps Estonian public sector assess, reduce carbon footprint. 2023. https://www.sei.org/features/partnership-helps-estonian-public-sector-assess-reduce-carbon-footprint/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Partnership helps Estonian public sector assess, reduce carbon footprint |date=23 November 2023 |url=https://www.sei.org/features/partnership-helps-estonian-public-sector-assess-reduce-carbon-footprint/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2023partnership, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Partnership helps Estonian public sector assess, reduce carbon footprint}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2023}, month = nov, url = {https://www.sei.org/features/partnership-helps-estonian-public-sector-assess-reduce-carbon-footprint/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }