Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet emphasized reducing carbon emissions during his meeting with his Danish counterpart Per Stig Møller.

TALLINN — Three months ahead of the Copenhagen Climate Conference, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet says his country intends to follow the European Union and Denmark in their steps to reduce carbon emissions.

Estonia needs to conform to European targets that say carbon emissions should be significantly reduced, he said.

“The European Union is currently a role model for battling climate change, as we have promised to reduce our emissions by 20 percent from their 1990 standards by 2020,” Paet said during a meeting in Tallinn on Aug. 31 with Danish foreign minister Per Stig Møller.

Paet said the conference could play an important role in convincing heavily-polluting nations to make greater efforts for the sake of the environment.

“For Estonia and the European Union, reaching an agreement in Copenhagen is essential,” he said.

Estonia has had some speed bumps recently in their attempts to install green power sources, with local residents in Hiiumaa Island blocking the installation of Europe’s biggest windfarm earlier this year by a Canadian company.

Paet places special emphasis on economic cooperation between Estonia and Denmark.

Denmark ranks fourth among foreign investors in Estonia. At the beginning of this year 223 businesses with Danish participation were registered in Estonia.

At the meeting, they also discussed the strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, European Union Neighborhood Policy, NATO-related topics, and transatlantic cooperation.