Most pollution such as there is in Estonia comes from vehicle exhaust fumes, and even from the improper use of heating stoves and similar.

First marked in 2019, International Day Of Clean Air For Blue Skies aims to emphasize the need to improve air quality and to protect human health.

Mikk Toim, an adviser at the ministry's external air department, noted that the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified air pollution as one of the leading causes of premature death worldwide.

"Air pollution leads to a variety of diseases, including cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, but can also lead to premature births or low birth weight in children," Toim said.

Pollution of course respects no international boundaries.

"Why do we need international cooperation though? Since pollution has a cross-border effect, this means it spreads from one country to another, hence is why we have this important day," Toim explained.

Globally speaking, polluted air is one of the main contributors to premature deaths as noted.

A 2022 study commissioned by the Ministry of the Environment and conducted by the University of Tartu revealed that air pollution causes approximately 1,200 premature deaths annually in Estonia alone, with healthcare costs stretching into the hundreds of millions of euros.

Estonia aims to reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and other compounds by 2029, as compared with 2005 levels, Toim added.

He said: "We are on the right track to achieving this goal. These requirements stem directly from the EU's emissions reduction directive. Our monitoring stations have met all EU standards in recent years, although we still occasionally experience episodic events, such as springtime dust episodes caused by road wear."

The main sources of air pollution in Estonia are transport and stove heating, particularly during the winter months, as many people use improper heating methods and materials, Toim noted.

This has a more immediate safety dimension too.

According to Tuuli Taavet, an expert from the Rescue Board's (Päästeamet) prevention department, improper methods can lead to chimney soot fires, especially when chimneys have not been kept regularly clean.

Much depends on the winter, too.

"This past year, we had a very cold winter, so people heated their stoves and ovens more frequently, which was reflected in a significant uptick in chimney fires, per our statistics," Taavet said.

She added that people often use too damp wood. or even garbage for heating – both big no no's.

"It is vital to remember that a heating stove is not a garbage can. Not only can burning improper materials release toxic substances into the environment, but some plastics will not combust fully, instead shrinking, vaporizing and condensing inside chimneys, which can then cause blockages. These blockages can become so severe that a new chimney even needs to be built."

One initiative aimed at reducing pollution from stove heating is a support measure for upgrading home heating systems.

Homeowners can apply for funding to renovate stoves, connect to district heating systems, or install air-to-water heat pumps, geothermal heat pumps, or boiler systems.

According to Toim, the program has proved very popular.

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