About
Saue Municipality is a peri-urban local authority in the Tallinn capital region of Estonia, with a population of approximately 26,000. It is the largest rural municipality in mainland Estonia and is characterised by strong territorial diversity, combining fast-growing urban areas, industrial zones, small rural settlements, and valuable agricultural land. Saue hosts key national transport corridors and electric rail connections, making climate resilience of infrastructure, land use, and water systems a strategic priority.
Saue is a signatory to the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change and has a long-standing commitment to climate action at the local level. The municipality has already implemented concrete mitigation and adaptation measures, including flagship nearly zero-energy public buildings, promotion of sustainable mobility (free local electric train use and multimodal infrastructure), and climate-sensitive spatial planning that protects agricultural land, green networks, and water resources while managing peri-urban growth.
In recent years, Saue has intensified its focus on systematic climate adaptation, addressing increasing risks related to drought, water scarcity, critical infrastructure exposure, and urban sprawl. The municipality integrates climate considerations into comprehensive and spatial planning, public investment decisions, and community services, and actively collaborates with national authorities, research institutions, civil society, and neighbouring municipalities.
Saue combines political commitment, administrative capacity, and practical implementation experience, making it a strong partner for Horizon Europe Mission projects. The municipality offers a real-life living lab for peri-urban climate adaptation, with access to decision-makers, engaged communities, and the ability to pilot, test, and scale solutions related to multi-level governance, climate services, risk-informed planning, and investment-ready adaptation measures. Saue is particularly interested in partnerships that bridge knowledge, policy, and delivery, and that generate transferable solutions for peri-urban and rural territories across Europe.
Mission: Adaptation to Climate Change
HORIZON-MISS-2026-01-CLIMA-01: National Adaptation Hubs - Bringing together the national level with the engaged regional and local levels (multi-level governance)HORIZON-MISS-2026-01-CLIMA-02:Actionable solutions for climate adaptation to the knowledge of the regions and local authoritiesHORIZON-MISS-2026-01-CLIMA-03: Standardising and supporting climate services to serve climate adaptationHORIZON-MISS-2026-01-CLIMA-04: Bridging the gap between disaster risk management and climate adaptationHORIZON-MISS-2026-01-CLIMA-05: Demonstrating solutions to protect and preserve cultural heritage from the impacts of climate changeHORIZON-MISS-2026-01-CLIMA-06: Improving climate resilience of inland waterways, their surroundings and related water infrastructures
Mission: 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030
HORIZON-MISS-2026-04-CIT-01: Energy efficient urban and sub-urban public transport, complemented by shared mobilityHORIZON-MISS-2026-04-CIT-02: Transition to low-temperature heating solutions in multi-apartment buildings
Eu Missions' Joint Calls
HORIZON-MISS-2026-06-01-CIT-NEB-B4P: Introducing circular economy models in the construction sector, from buildings to city scaleHORIZON-MISS-2026-08-CLIMA-SOIL: Joint demonstration of solutions to build soil resilience to extreme weather events and support food security