The section, added during the bill's consultation processing with stakeholders, will require 50,000 hectares of meadow land to be maintained as of 2027.

The total budget for the measure is €68.1 million, of which €58.1 million will derive from the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS), from Estonian state co-financing, and from other EU funds.

The Estonian government itself will additionally contribute €10 million.

At the end of 2023, slightly over 41,000 hectares were in restoration or maintenance in Estonia.

The explanatory memorandum to the draft law states that species-rich meadows sequester more carbon.

A 2022 study examining the role of Estonian meadow ecosystems in mitigating climate change has backed this up, leading to the logical conclusion that the maintenance and restoration of heritage meadows and the preservation of valuable permanent grasslands contribute to achieving EU climate goals.

Laura Remmelgas, head of the climate department at the Ministry of Climate itself said: "The heritage meadows measure was added to the Climate-Resilient Economy Act as a result of the consultative process, to meet the expectation that climate measures should be as precisely defined as possible."

The ministry's deputy secretary general for green reform, Kristi Klaas, also reiterated that heritage meadow restoration is mentioned in the climate act's explanatory memorandum as a measure contributing to climate goals.

At the same time, the regulation of the measure in question falls under the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture.

The Climate-Resilient Economy Act received over 900 amendment proposals during the consultation round, just one of which focused on heritage meadows.

"It is important to understand that the Climate-Resilient Economy Act itself does not establish measures," Klaas stressed.

"The explanatory memorandum outlines both existing and potential measures that can contribute to achieving the goals of the climate act, but they are not made mandatory or enforced by the law itself," she added.

Applicable measures may change over time as knowledge and experience improve, the ministry added.

Measures for restoring heritage meadows, identified by experts, have long been part of Estonia's habitat protection efforts and are not an innovation in that sense.

About 60,000 hectares of well-preserved heritage meadows, which in recorded history have never been put to the plough, fertilized, or been planted with crop seed, exist in Estonia, home to many protected species.

The ecosystems represent ancient ecosystems, vital for biodiversity and carbon sequestering, including of CO2 from the atmosphere.

Projections reveal they will be the only carbon sinks in Estonia's land use sector by 2050.

In any case, there is reportedly significant interest in heritage meadow restoration, with the authorities receiving around 850 applications annually.

Presented to the government in December and with EU climate goals in focus, the Climate-Resilient Economy Act has been updated with over 900 amendments, focusing on technology adoption and impact assessments.

Critics, including the coalition Social Democratic party, remain concerned about unresolved issues such as climate goal fulfillment and adaptation measures.

The prime minister has stressed the need for what he called a thorough, calm debate on the act, with ongoing discussions expected to clarify its impact on businesses.

The bill has to pass through the Riigikogu before entering into law.

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