Back in 2023, Tallinn didn’t just hold the title of European Green Capital, it put it to use. Bold ideas were explored, old habits were questioned, and a city long celebrated for its medieval charm stepped with confidence into a more sustainable, forward-looking future.
Two years later, we catch up with the person who helped drive it all: Krista Kampus, Executive Director of Tallinn European Green Capital 2023 and Head of EU and International Relations for the City of Tallinn. We talk legacy, lessons, and what follows once the spotlight fades.
The awards may be shelved, but the work? That’s still going strong.
This interview was originally published in the Summer–Autumn 2025 edition of Sustain Europe.
Reflecting on 2023, could you please share your insights on what you consider the most significant achievements of Tallinn as the European Green Capital?
The European Green Capital year gave Tallinn the opportunity to bring attention to environmental issues, test new green solutions in the city and launch new projects focusing on sustainable development and co-creation.
For me, the most significant achievements of the Green Capital are related to two essential elements:
Firstly, an overall increase in sustainable development awareness within the city organisation, as well as implementing changes to make Tallinn and its activities more environmentally sustainable such as the renewal of environmental management certificates in city departments, the OECD Tallinn’s Circular Economy Report, that paved the way to development of Tallinn’s circular economy strategy on 2024. The green capital year also gave a boost to developing more reuse and repair centres, in order to reach our circular economy goals.
As the Green Capital initiative, the Guide of Environmentally Friendly Events and the new Waste Management Regulation were developed, which banned the use of disposable dishes at public events in Tallinn and established other environmental and resource efficiency criteria. From 1st June 2023, most public events in Tallinn are allowed to serve food and drinks only in reusable containers and to use only reusable cutlery. From 1st January 2024, the requirement now applies to all public events, regardless of size. The aim of the switch to reusable containers was to improve people’s environmental awareness of waste, reduce the amount of waste and litter generated at public events and promote circular economy business models by creating demand for reuse systems.
Secondly, activities and new initiatives related to citizen engagement and co-creation, such as the Green Capital Citizens Assembly, which made 39 proposals to the city government on better integration of Tallinn’s green corridors, as well as joint environmental protection actions in Pääsküla bog and other green areas in the city. On the one hand, co-creation and collaboration are essential to bring the city’s activities closer to the residents; on the other hand, they help raise people’s environmental awareness. I would also like to mention Green Capital’s flagship projects, such as Test In Tallinn, which opens the city space for companies worldwide to test and pilot their green technologies and GreenTracs, which tests various tactical solutions for greening the urban space.
What were some of the biggest challenges Tallinn faced in achieving its Green Capital goals, and how were they addressed?
Even though the Green Capital year is over, we still wish to further involve local communities in city development, find opportunities to support green innovation, develop environmentally friendly modes of travel, such as cycle lanes and public transport, and improve circular economy. In addition, we also wanted to help citizens better understand why the city wants to become more sustainable, why it is important and how will it impact them? Reaching all the citizens also turned out to be more challenging than we expected, because while environmental topics create a lot of discussion it is not easy to change people’s habits and actions. This was well demonstrated for example when the city stopped mowing our green areas in the summer for 15 months. Citizens were divided almost exactly in half: one half liked the decision and the other half was against it. In the end we managed to convince people and more people understood why it is necessary to mow less.
Another good example: Tallinn was the first capital city in Europe to implement reusable solutions on such a large scale as the National Youth Song and Dance Festival with over 130,000 participants and visitors. The project was extensive, requiring a lot of preparation and being very time-and-resource-consuming. We are very proud and happy that it succeeded in the end by switching reusable cutlery and reducing the waste produced by half and making it possible for most to visit it with public transport.
“The title of European Green Capital accelerated the green transition in Tallinn, and we used the year of the green capital to make decisions with a long-term impact.”
In what ways has the European Green Capital Award fundamentally transformed Tallinn’s approach to sustainability and urban development?
The year of the Green Capital will be remembered in Tallinn’s urban space by 14 new flower meadows, parklets that provide greenery in parking spaces, a new pocket park made from replanted trees, greenery created at three major intersections, nine food groves, more than 300 planted shade trees to relieve summer heatwaves, 150 trees planted by the participants of the youth song and dance festival etc. The Green Tracks project and urban interventions will also continue this year, and the city has learned that this type of project can be done and is well-received by citizens.
The Green Capital Let’s Create Together fund of 1.2 million euros was distributed to 48 projects so that all Tallinn citizens, companies and non-profit organisations could be part of the European Green Capital year and fulfil their environmental ideas and projects. Tallinn set a goal to involve the widest possible range of people from Tallinn and Estonia in the year of the European Green Capital, and the support of non-profit initiatives was a good way to support the sustainable ideas of the people of Tallinn.
From the myriad of initiatives in 2023, which key legacy projects do you believe will have a lasting and significant impact on Tallinn’s future?
The title of European Green Capital accelerated the green transition in Tallinn, and we used the year of the green capital to make decisions with a long-term impact. In cooperation with Utilitas, Tallinn invested in innovative sources of renewable energy, i.e., sewage and seawater pumps to produce heating, which will ensure energy price stability, energy security and significantly reduce the city’s carbon footprint.
Programme of innovative urban interventions: Green Tracks. The aim was to improve the quality of green areas by bringing greenery to densely used areas, supporting the development of urban green networks, and testing innovative urban spatial solutions in the form of changes in spatial organisation, as well as testing new spatial prototypes. In 2023, we have completed: summer park on Town Hall Square, Jõesuu 5 beach park, coastal area installation and city space interventions by Linnahall, 8 parklets around the City, 14 flower meadows, 9 food forests, over 450 new planted trees. More interventions are planned to be completed in 2025 and beyond.
Another Green Capital legacy project is the Test in Tallinn program, which enables companies to trial their products and services in a real urban environment. It allows businesses to validate their solutions with real users, providing a springboard for market entry and new partnerships.
So far, 16 companies have been testing innovative solutions in areas such as smart mobility, waste management, energy, climate, and many other areas. On April 29, 2025, the Government Office of Estonia recognised the program with the national award for Innovation Supporting Economic Growth. “Test in Tallinn” demonstrates how cities can actively support the green transition through innovation and create value in collaboration with entrepreneurs.
In 2023, we started several pilot projects in cooperation with reuse organisations and opened a sewing repair workshop, a wood repair workshop, a reuse room and a general repair workshop and reuse room in our waste centres. Tallinn’s first circular economy centre opened in autumn 2024, with a second now underway.
The Guideline for Organising Environmentally Friendly Events sets the minimum requirements and recommendations for event organisers in Tallinn. As of June 2023, these requirements became mandatory for all events organised by the city. One of the first major applications of these criteria was at the 13th Estonian Youth Song and Dance Festival, held in Tallinn in July 2023. This landmark event marked a significant sustainability milestone, becoming the largest public event in Europe to eliminate single-use packaging. Over 130,000 participants and visitors were served food and drinks exclusively in reusable dishes, supported by 11 collection points and a deposit-return system. These measures prevented nearly half a million disposable items from ending up as waste, setting a new benchmark for sustainable event management. In recognition of these efforts, Tallinn was awarded the prestigious ITB Earth Award in March 2025 at the Green Destinations Top 100 Story Awards during ITB Berlin. The winning initiative, titled “From the Singing Revolution to the Anti-Waste Revolution: How We Cleaned Up Our Nation’s Backbone Event,” showcased the city’s bold approach to sustainable tourism by transforming our beloved national celebration into a near-zero-waste event. This achievement demonstrates how large-scale cultural traditions can be reimagined to align with modern environmental goals through thoughtful planning and strong collaboration.
The Open City Hub is a co-creation space equipped with state-of-the-art visualisation technology, with the aim of facilitating citizens’ participation in urban design processes and fostering meaningful discussions between the city, developers, professionals, and citizens. The hub was opened in August 2023, offering space for regular meetings, exhibitions and seminars.
Has public perception and awareness of environmental issues changed in Tallinn during 2023, and if so, how?
People who are aware of the effects of environmental problems generally behave more environmentally friendly than those who do not realise how the issues would eventually affect their lives. Therefore, raising environmental awareness among the people of Tallinn was an important priority during the European Green Capital year.
The theme of the 2022/2023 academic year in Tallinn’s educational institutions was nature and environmental protection, and within this framework, different environmental programs and competitions were held for both school and kindergarten children.
We also organised several environmental competitions for the children and young people of Tallinn during the school year. The aim was to give all children and young people the opportunity to have a say and make the voice of young people heard.
In addition, we organised a Green Capital training programme for employees of the city of Tallinn on the topics of waste collection, circular economy, green procurement, green office, climate change, urban greenery and biodiversity. A total of 328 people participated in the training.
A significant portion of the communication effort was directed towards increasing the environmental awareness of the residents. For this, we used newspapers, content marketing articles, social media and campaigns. Environmental topics are complex, and it is crucial for the citizens of Tallinn to comprehend the green initiatives and actively participate in making our city more sustainable. We showcased the changes in Tallinn and actively engaged citizens, communities, organisations, and businesses.
To evaluate the European Green Capital year, we conducted a resident satisfaction survey in 2024 to gather feedback on the impact of the year’s activities. 69% of residents considered the European Green Capital (EGC) year necessary and believed it had a positive impact, while 90% of Tallinn residents expressed a personal sense of responsibility and the need to contribute to the prevention and resolution of environmental issues. Additionally, 76% agreed that environmental problems will significantly affect daily life in the future.
To gain broader insight, we also conducted a survey of over 1,600 city employees and organised two workshops with various partners. These evaluations confirmed that the EGC year had a clear and visible impact on biodiversity, urban space, sustainable events, and public awareness. Among city employees, 79% considered the EGC year necessary, and 59% observed positive environmental and urban developments. Changes noted included greater awareness, greener public spaces, and the adoption of more sustainable behaviours both at work and in everyday life. Overall, the EGC year significantly strengthened Tallinn’s position as a leader in sustainability and set in motion a lasting momentum for green development and innovation.
“90% of Tallinn residents expressed a personal sense of responsibility and the need to contribute to the prevention and resolution of environmental issues.”
What were the major strides made in sustainable mobility during 2023, and how do you envision these developments shaping Tallinn’s future transportation policies?
Tallinn’s climate neutrality goal is to reduce CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030 (with 2007 as the starting point). By 2035, the aim is for 70% of citizens to use public transportation compared to other mobility options. This also involves achieving CO2-neutral public transport by 2035. New tram lines are under construction, with the first completed in November 2024.
Tallinn’s mobility strategy 2035 was approved in November 2023; the bus system will be reorganised, and more bike lanes will be created. The number of cyclists has almost doubled in two years. Tallinn continues to develop our bike lane system (17 new lanes to be created between 2022-2026) and make the existing infrastructure safer and more coherent.
In what ways has the emphasis on sustainability influenced Tallinn’s economic landscape? Have you noticed any remarkable shifts in business practices or the emergence of new economic opportunities?
One year is too short a time to achieve noticeable changes in the economic landscape of the city. Since one of our goals was to address climate change through innovation and green technologies, I would highlight the activities of the Green Capital that I hope will also positively impact the economic sector: first, the aforementioned OECD report on the transition to a circular economy, during which several workshops and roundtables were held with representatives of businesses to map out the current situation, opportunities, needs, and challenges; second, the mentioned Test In Tallinn initiative for exploiting the potential of green innovation and strengthening collaboration with private sector in the areas of mobility and energy.
In November 2023, Tallinn Green Tech Week took place. During that, Tallinn hosted the CleanTech Forum Europe and organised the Green Capital EXPO (NEXPO) to introduce smart solutions and new technologies, implemented by the cities, and to facilitate dialogue between European cities, greentech companies and leading experts in this topic. The week had five international conferences with over 4000 participants from 64 countries, which certainly contributed to the private sector’s green transition.
Could you elaborate on the sustainable tourism strategy Tallinn developed or enhanced in its tenure as the Green Capital, particularly how it achieves a balance between tourist satisfaction with environmental preservation?
Tallinn’s approach to sustainable tourism development is a comprehensive model that integrates the principles of sustainability across economic, social, and environmental aspects, guided by the Tallinn 2035 Strategy and aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The strategy aims to develop tourism in a manner that preserves cultural heritage and the natural environment for future generations. The emphasis on responsible tourism, which respects local customs, cultures, and motivations for visiting, highlights a commitment to sustainability.
Since joining the GDS-Index in 2021, we’ve seen consistent year-on-year improvement in sustainability performance across all categories. Tallinn’s achievement in surpassing the average scores of cities in North America, Eastern, and Western Europe, and leading in Eastern Europe, underscores its commitment to and progress in sustainable tourism practices. As part of the Green Capital programme, we launched initiatives like the MAD Academy on the sustainable food culture in collaboration with the Estonian Hotel and Restaurant Association. Tallinn also hosted the carbon-neutral Green Destinations conference, in partnership with Enterprise Estonia.
I’m very pleased that this initiative from our European Green Capital year has received international recognition. In March 2025, Tallinn was awarded the ITB Earth Award for the zero-waste approach we took at the Youth Song and Dance Festival. With over 130,000 participants and visitors, it became the largest public event in Europe to eliminate single-use packaging. It took a lot of coordination and preparation, but it showed that it’s possible to organise large-scale events in a much more sustainable way. This experience has already had a lasting impact on how public events are planned in Tallinn, and the same principles will be applied again at the General Song and Dance Festival this July.
“It showed that it’s possible to organise large-scale events in a much more sustainable way.”
Reflecting on high-profile events like GreenTech Week and NEXPO hosted in 2023, what were the key takeaways and outcomes from these events?
The culminating event of Tallinn’s Green Capital year was Tallinn Greentech Week, which took place on 13-17 November. This event showcased Tallinn’s efforts towards sustainability and green technology innovation, attracting global attention. Greentech Week featured several events, including Cleantech Forum Europe, Tallinn NEXPO, Smart Cities Convention, Green Governance Conference, and Balanced Economy Forum. The goal was to encourage cooperation among green technology specialists and establish a dialogue between European cities and companies, with around 500 investors, innovators, and entrepreneurs expected to attend. The week had over 4000 participants from 64 countries.
GreenTech Week was more than just an event; it was a stepping stone for Tallinn towards becoming a global hub for green technology. It invited green tech enthusiasts from around the world to come together, share ideas, and help build a sustainable urban future. The week signified the blend of Tallinn’s historical essence with its modern green ambitions, promoting global collaboration for a sustainable, tech-driven future.
Drawing from the experiences and successes of 2023, what are Tallinn’s long-term plans or strategies to sustain and build upon the momentum gained from being a Green Capital?
The European Green Capital year has helped to accelerate the green transition initiatives in Tallinn that are already underway and has laid the foundations for a number of new approaches. Flagship projects and innovative actions of various sizes and scales were implemented that gave Tallinn the opportunity to learn, experiment and discover the best sustainable solutions that can be developed further.
The European Green Capital Year also provided more opportunities for citizen participation. We intend to further involve local communities in city development, find opportunities to support green innovation, develop environmentally friendly modes of travel, such as cycle lanes and public transport, and improve the circular economy. In addition, we also wish to help citizens better understand the importance of environmental protection.
From the perspective of the title year, it is important to include newly created cooperation contacts and to continue to grow the capacity of international cooperation in the entire city organisation and to enhance substantive partnership in the important umbrella organisations for the city, like the OECD, ICLEI and Eurocities. The city’s European Union-oriented work needs to be strengthened in the shaping of various urban policies and in standing up for the city’s interests internationally.
