On 1 January, Kaja Tael, the former Estonian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the European Union, becomes the Estonian Ambassador at Large for Climate and Energy Policy.
“Climate change affects us all and managing it is our common challenge and priority. This is why climate diplomacy is increasingly important today,” Tael said.
“For example, the ice in the Arctic melting more rapidly than anticipated has a global effect. Estonia wishes to become an observer on the Arctic Council, which deals with the sustainable development and environmental condition of the Arctic,” she added.
Achieving a new green deal is also central to the work of the new European Commission that took office in December. Climate change is an important topic during Estonia’s membership of the UN Security Council. It is also among Estonia’s priorities in 2020 when coordinating the Nordic-Baltic and Baltic cooperation formats.
International cooperation is also important in the area of energy, for example, in improving connections and increasing energy security. “Regional major projects, such as creating connections and synchronising Baltic electricity grids with the frequency band of Central Europe are regularly on the agenda of various high-level meetings,” Tael said.
Kaja Tael worked as the Estonian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the European Union since 2016, and was the Estonian Ambassador to Germany from 2012 to 2016. She has also worked as the Estonian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, the Foreign Policy Adviser to President Lennart Meri and the Director of the Estonian Institute.
Additional information:
Fred Püss
Media Adviser
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
Communication Department
+372 637 7618
