Finland’s Climate and Energy Strategy

Finland’s current National Climate and Energy Strategy, approved on 6.11.2008, sets out wide-ranging policies and targets related to greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements. Policies are described in detail for the period up to 2020, with longer-term policy outlines also envisaged for the period up to 2050.

The national strategy recognises that in order to meet the national targets set by the EU Commission Finland will have to successfully implement wide-ranging measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote renewable energy, and enhance energy efficiency.

Emission reductions through national measures and emission trading

Without new measures to save energy and replace fossil fuels Finland’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 would be an estimated 20 % higher than in the benchmark year 1990. Almost all of this increase would occur in the energy production and industrial sectors. The EU aims to reduce emissions in these two sectors by 21 % from their 2005-levels by 2020 through its emission trading system.  

Emissions from transport, agriculture and the heating of individual homes (as opposed to the district heating schemes widely used in Finland) should meanwhile be reduced by an average of 16 % during the same period, according to the Commission’s proposals.