News

A report from the Foresight Centre shows that half of Estonian residents support linking benefits to income. Need-based benefits are more favoured by older people and those with lower income, while younger age groups and parents of minor children are less supportive of them.

According to the Foresight Centre’s short report “Green investment trends of companies in Estonia and Europe”, Estonian companies’ involvement in green investment is similar to the rest of Europe, although considerably fewer companies invest in energy production.

According to the new report by the Foresight Centre, attracting industries with high energy consumption to Estonia requires the added value of the projects per unit of energy to not be lower than the average. Establishing energy-intensive industries would only be justified if they could bring opportunities for economic activities that would create more added value in Estonia.

In today’s short report, the Foresight Centre presents a selection of various options for linking current social and educational benefits with people’s income, analysing the effect the changes would have on poverty, inequality and the state budget.

The average salary of Estonian teachers increased by more than 420 euros last year and reached 120% of the Estonian average, meeting the target set in the education development plan. However, due to the rapid growth of the average salary, this level of growth rate will be difficult to maintain, according to the Foresight Centre’s report ‘Teachers’ Salaries’.

Since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine, the import of goods and services from Russia and Belarus has decreased nearly tenfold, while exports have increased, according to the recent short report by the Foresight Centre.

According to Foresight Centre’s short report ‘Community Schools in Estonia’, transforming local schools and kindergartens into modern community houses would help to revitalise public services in danger of closure. For example, remote work offices, family doctor and youth centres, as well as various sports and hobby groups could be located there. However, although this model offers the greatest benefits to peripheral regions, the municipalities of Harju County are currently more active in creating such multifunctional houses.

Short-term energy storage would help solar panel owners to increase the profitability of their electricity production, which would also help keep the Estonian power system in balance, according to an analysis commissioned by the Foresight Centre.