Governing the Green Transition in the Middle of Backlash: Power, Contestation and EU Sustainability Policies – The Case of Estonia

The green transition has become one of the most contested and politically charged policy agendas in the European Union. While long-term climate objectives formally remain in place, the development and implementation of sustainability policies increasingly take place in a context marked by political contestation and mounting pressures arising from overlapping crises, including energy insecurity, economic uncertainty and geopolitical instability (Siddi 2023). These conditions shape not only the pace of the green transition, but also the ways in which climate policies are formulated, justified and adapted within multi-level governance structures. Against this backdrop, the article analyses how European Union sustainability and climate policies are designed and evolve at the level of European institutions – primarily the European Commission and the European Parliament – and how these policies are adapted and implemented at the national level. Focusing on Estonia as a case study, the article examines the objectives of EU sustainability policies, the dominant policy discourses and the key institutional actors involved, with particular attention to the interaction between European-level policy frameworks and national institutional and political contexts. The analysis is based on semi-structured interviews and document analysis and explores the institutional logics, strategic considerations and governance arrangements that shape the formulation and adaptation of climate policy. The paper is situated within the broader framework of the European Union’s long-term climate objectives, including the European Green Deal, the European Climate Regulation, the EU Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and the Paris Climate Agreement. It contributes to a better understanding of how the European Union develops globally distinctive sustainability policies and how institutional structures, governance practices and country-specific factors influence their practical implementation. By highlighting the interplay between European ambitions and national-level policy adaptation, the article sheds light on the challenges and opportunities of governing the green transition under conditions of political and socio-economic pressure.