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Sustainable development

How can we get to a place where we can still enjoy our lives today but where our actions do not damage the quality of life for the next seven generations? Sustainable development is the path that tries to balance human activity and nature. It is a transitional period that lasts for a specific time period (50-100 years). There are many scenarios, in the darkest of which, a balance with nature will be reached quickly due to troubled times. There will be a significant reduction in world´s population, a remarkable decrease in the quality of life and the fall of most of our social systems. ELF prefers planning for a more positive scenario where there is a more subtle transition to an environmentally friendly and balanced way of life.

How does ELF contribute to sustainable development? 

ELF has and continues to contribute to sustainable development in various fields:

  • Throughout the years, we´ve put a lot of emphasis on promoting and supporting more environmentally friendly agriculture. It is high natural value farming that helps to increase and preserve biodiversity rather than straining or destroying it.
  • We are working hard to replace as many non-renewable energy sources with renewable ones as possible. ELF is constantly urging the state, energy organisations and local communities to search for and invest in alternative solutions in order to reduce the impact of oil shale energy production and find solutions with the lowest possible environmental impact. ELF has also joined the EKO energy network.

  • Standing for the responsible use of mineral resources.

  • Acknowledging the causes and relieving the effects of the climate change.

  • The issue of littering in Estonia and in the world – ELF has participated both in the organisation of the Estonian Let´s Do It clean-up actions and in the international Let´s Do It World Clean-up.

  • Strengthening the local communities and civil society, improving the living environment. Since 2010 ELF is the leader of the “Let´s Do it” day.

  • Promoting reuse. Together with other organisations ELF is the founder of the Re-use Centre.

  • Developing environmental law and stewardship together with the Estonian Environmental Law Center (EELC) that grew out of ELF and deals with environmental law issues since 2007.