Riivo Tuvike: The green transition is no passing fad but is here to stay

Tallinn Airport partnered with Green Tiger to present the first Green Forum, at which speakers and attendees shared their experience of reducing environmental impact and discussed how Estonia’s transport gateways – the Port of Tallinn, Rail Baltic and Tallinn Airport – can be made more sustainable.

Andres Veske, the chairman of the supervisory board of Green Tiger, says Estonia had used up all of its own natural resources for 2022 by 14 March. “It’s clear that our economic model is unsustainable in its current form, because nature is an integrated system,” he remarked. “You just can’t keep taking from a closed system without giving something back. That’s why we have to move towards an economy that’s in balance with nature.”

Veske says the transport sector’s footprint accounts for 30% of all carbon emissions, of which just 4% are attributable to aviation. “Which makes Tallinn Airport’s push to reduce that impact all the more noteworthy,” he added. “It’s a great sign that the airport has taken the initiative and, as a brand new member of Green Tiger, is leading the discussion on how to make Estonia’s transport gateways more sustainable. Green Tiger is planning to draw up a transport roadmap to ensure the sector can pinpoint the areas it affects and mitigate that impact.”

Riivo Tuvike, the chairman of the management board of Tallinn Airport, stresses that the green transition is no passing fad: companies which have failed to reduce their environmental impact by 2030 will find themselves out of the game.

“We’ve already taken a number of steps to lessen the impact we have on the world around us,” he explained. “We’re focussing on using less energy while also producing our own renewable supplies. Our aim is to be providing 30% of the airport’s electricity from our own solar farms by 2023. And in autumn we’ll be making the switch from gas to district heating.” He added that maximum use is made of batteries in technology and transport.

Sharing their best practice in environmental and sustainability management at the forum were the Port of Tallinn, Enterprise Estonia, Ülemiste City and Utilitas. The panel which brought the event to a close focused on the present and future of sustainable Estonian gateways, with input from Tallinn Airport, the Port of Tallinn, Rail Baltic Estonia and Enterprise Estonia.

A recording of the Green Forum is available here.

Tallinn Airport joined Green Tiger in February so as to contribute to the green transition of the economy and the transport sector and to contribute to awareness-raising and the sharing of experience.

The goal of Tallinn Airport is to ensure the sustainable and responsible operation of the airports belonging to the group and the provision of high-quality services, while preserving the natural environment and reducing air emissions. Tallinn Airport aims to be a carbon-neutral airport by 2030.