In 2024, the Earth's average temperature surpassed 1.5 degrees compared to the pre-industrial era, even though it was globally set in Paris in 2015 that this limit would not be exceeded at least until 2100. The Technical University is taking the next step towards a better future: an initiative started by the communication center invites the university community to participate in "green theme months," aimed at making everyday habits more sustainable. The goal is to reduce everyone's, and thereby the university's, environmental footprint.

Our main message is: be reasonable! The plan is not to ban, force, or oppose, but to offer opportunities and work together. The hoped-for result is even a small real change in everyday habits, such as less personal car use, reduced meat consumption, more efficient energy use in buildings, avoiding excessive packaging, better health behavior, and more conscious and aware consumption. 

Nine months, nine topics 

September – transport and mobility. The academic year begins with a topic that probably stirs the most passion – car dependency. Although cars are convenient and often necessary, their excessive use causes problems for everyone.

Estonia is one of the most car-dependent countries in Europe: while the average number of cars per 1,000 inhabitants in Europe is 570, in Estonia it is 630, ranking 5th. At the same time, according to 2022 data, 52.8% of Estonia’s population aged 16–64 is overweight or obese; excess weight increasingly affects children and adolescents as well. Constant traffic noise also harms health. Noise is considered the second most significant health-affecting factor in the European Union after air pollution. In Tallinn, the main source of noise is traffic. Both problems are caused by cars. By the way, the average car trip length in Tallinn is 3 km.

So, we invite people out of their cars — onto bicycles, buses, trains, and sidewalks, whenever possible. Let’s break free from the autopilot that says “I’m going somewhere = I get in the car” and start noticing empty and convenience trips. For example, do you really need to go by car right now, or can you walk, take the bus, or share a ride with a friend?

In October, the focus is on mental health — since the student council organizes a “mental boost” month, we don’t plan other themes. This month we talk about coping with climate anxiety on an individual level and possibilities for balanced development at the societal level. What if we didn’t have to chase economic growth? Is perpetual growth even possible? What if we didn’t always want more but accepted sufficiency? What exactly is sufficiency — where does happiness lie according to well-being researchers?

November – responsible consumption and reuse. This year, Earth Overshoot Day was on August 1st, but for Estonia, it was already on March 4th. Overshoot Day marks the day when the planet’s annual biocapacity budget would be used up if everyone on Earth lived at the same consumption level as the residents of that specific country. In other words, Estonia behaves as if we had nearly six planets worth of resources. In 2018, Estonia’s Overshoot Day was March 30th, so our small country’s burden on the planet grows every year.

Before Christmas, in November, we invite reflection on what and where we buy and why – is it because an advertisement told us to; because we were in a bad mood; because “it was so cheap!”; or because last time we bought a bad product and it broke?

December – avoiding waste and packaging. While in November we focused on consuming less, before Christmas we smoothly transition to consuming as packaging-free as possible. In Estonia, about 373 kg of municipal waste and 145 kg of packaging waste are generated per person annually.

The amount of waste generated by Estonians has not changed significantly in 10 years, even though waste should be collected separately for recycling. Although 69% of Estonians sorted their waste in 2023, conscious plastic consumption dropped from 45% to 31%. And even though people do sort, they still buy too much single-use packaging. When taking the next plastic bag in a store, one might argue, “What difference does one plastic bag make?” In Estonia, an average of 152 thin plastic bags are used per person annually, placing us sixth in the EU. By the end of the year, the people of small Estonia will have used over 208 million thin plastic bags. Was each one really necessary?

In December, we invite people to notice double packaging and unnecessary packaging, and how some packaging has a lifespan of just 50 seconds.

January – heat and light, or energy. In the cold winter month, when the sun doesn’t shine and the winds are calm, energy consumption in the Nordic countries is high. About 50% of the energy used in Estonia goes to buildings, and according to the statistics office, a large part of Estonia’s energy is still produced from non-renewable natural resources, such as oil shale. The Ministry of Climate aims not only for clean production but also for sustainable consumption.

For example, in summer people tend to cool rooms and cars down to 18 degrees, while in winter they heat them up to 24 degrees. Instead, we encourage embracing all four seasons (while we still have them!) and accepting slightly warmer rooms in summer and slightly cooler ones in winter. In summer, it’s perfectly fine to go without a jacket and wear short sleeves, and in winter to put on wool socks and a hoodie or sweater. Everyone can also turn off lights and devices they’re not using, and, where possible, set fridges at home or in labs a degree or two warmer.

February – sensible consumption of water and food. In 2023, the average Estonian consumed about 91 liters of water per day, making us one of the most frugal in Europe. At the same time, 82% of Estonia’s water use is cooling water for power plants. This figure is decreasing, as is water usage in industry and agriculture. However, where Estonia clearly has problems is in pollution load: according to condition assessments, nearly half of Estonia’s surface water bodies are in poor or worse condition. The main causes of poor or worse condition are eutrophication (excess nutrients), dams, and the presence of hazardous substances like mercury and cadmium in fish, as well as wastewater reaching surface and groundwater.

We are not as frugal when it comes to food: according to a 2021 study, over 80,000 tons of food were wasted in Estonian households, accounting for nearly half of all food waste. The most food waste was generated by families with children, as well as young people living alone and young couples without children. Reducing food waste also reduces food production, energy consumption, and the use of water, fertilizers, and agricultural land. It results in savings on food and waste transportation and waste management. Additionally, it helps everyone save their own money.

March – digital cleanliness and e-waste. In March, we invite you to notice the invisible: the digital waste and excessive digital load you generate.

Although on one hand smart systems help save energy, on the other hand they require even more of it. For example, a single ChatGPT query uses 50–90 times more energy than a regular Google search. Increasing streaming, cloud computing, and blockchain systems demand an ever-growing data infrastructure, which in turn requires a lot of electricity. Each active social media account generates 0.5–2.5 grams of CO2 per minute — everyone can calculate the footprint of their accounts per month or year. According to Telia, the digital life footprint of an average Estonian is 11.1 tons of CO2 per year.

April – biodiversity. Protecting nature is not necessary for nature itself, but for the sake of humanity – our economic systems, societies, and lives depend on the benefits of ecosystems. The best examples of these benefits are clean air, water, and food. The main causes of biodiversity loss are changes to natural habitats caused by intensive agricultural systems, construction, mining, overexploitation of forests, oceans, rivers, lakes, and soil, invasive alien species, pollution, and increasingly global climate change. One might think that Estonia has a lot of clean nature and little pollution. But let’s also consider that the European lifestyle heavily depends on global resources and imported goods. While in previous months we practiced consuming less, in April we turn toward nature to get to know it better.

May – movement for your own well-being. During the final green month before the end of the academic year, we focus on ourselves. We invite the university community to get outside and move for the sake of their own mental and physical health. Outdoor movement tones the body and releases happiness hormones, especially when done together.

The summer months are reserved for independent work in a manageable amount for everyone. We still hope that by then you will have taken with you at least one thought, discovery, or step from each month. Every action counts – do good! 

he article was published in the Tallinn University of Technology magazine Mente et Manu.

1. Passenger cars in the EU, Eurostat
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3. tallinn.ee/et/keskkond/myra
4. World Overshoot Day overshoot.footprintnetwork.org
5. Environmental portal keskkonnaportaal.ee/et/keskkonnaulevaade/keskkonnaulevaade-jaatmed-ja-ringmajandus
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7. “When plastic takes over.” Statistics Estonia, 2023
8. "Estonian water use is decreasing, but the economy's water withdrawal per capita is among the highest in Europe." Statistics Estonia, 2025
9. "Generation of food waste and food loss in the Estonian food supply chain." SEI and Estonian University of Life Sciences, 2021
10. https://www.enterpriseappstoday.com/stats/digital-footprint-statistics.html