Tallinna Vesi's Scope 1 and 2 emissions were 43.0% below their 2020 level in 2025, on a market-based Scope 2 basis. Its climate plan of January 2025 commits the Tallinn water company to a cut of at least 50% by 2030. The remaining gap is small in tonnes but sits in the hardest place to cut.
Purchased power is no longer the issue
Market-based Scope 2 emissions fell from 22,763 tCO2eq in the 2020 base year to 469 tCO2eq in 2025. Over the same period, direct Scope 1 emissions moved only from 29,996 to 29,627 tCO2eq, a fall of 1.2%. By 2025 Scope 1 made up 98.4% of the company's combined Scope 1 and 2 emissions.
What the last stretch requires
Reaching the 50% target means cutting about 3,717 tCO2eq more from the 2025 level. If Scope 2 stays where it is, Scope 1 would have to fall by about 12.5% by 2030. Those emissions come from wastewater treatment processes and on-site fuel use at Paljassaare, not from the grid.
Biogas is the lever
The company's combined heat and power plant at Paljassaare produced 9,987 MWh of electricity and 6,933 MWh of heat in 2025, and biogas boilers added 4,081 MWh of heat. A second 2030 target requires at least 50% of the electricity and heat the company needs to be produced in-house. The reconstruction of the biogas digesters, contracted in February 2023 for €3,843,794.38 plus VAT, was due within 34 months; the second digester was reconstructed in 2024 and final equipment and process adjustments were completed in 2025.
How the carbon plan fits with Tallinna Vesi's €60 million investment plan for 2026, its shift toward modernizing drinking water treatment and its rising debt is set out in the report, which also covers its smart metering, stormwater adaptation and governance. The full report, Water Utility of the Future: Tallinna Vesi, is available for USD 499. For a free overview, read the Tallinna Vesi Utility Snapshot.