Carbon neutrality target studies in offing

The Ministerial Working Group on Climate and Energy Policy held its first meeting on Thursday with the Minister of the Environment and Climate Krista Mikkonen in the chair.

The task of the ministerial working group is to guide and direct the implementation of the Government Programme with respect to promoting the carbon neutrality target, strengthening of carbon sinks and decision-making on climate and energy policy, while also taking into account social justice and international competitiveness.

The aim for the government is to make Finland carbon neutral by 2035. In its first meeting, the ministerial working group discussed the first measures to be taken towards reaching the objective. The climate and energy strategies extending to 2030 and 2050 will be updated and the Climate Change Act amended in line with the objective.

“Finland is showing strong global climate leadership in setting the carbon neutrality target to the year 2035. To achieve this, the measures need to be started as soon as possible. The whole society must be committed to combatting climate change. Within the Ministerial Working Group, the planning of climate measures will take place as a joint effort of ministers from different administrative branches, including the transport, energy production, agriculture, and land use sectors. The government aims to pursue a policy that is strongly based on knowledge, which is why the background studies to be conducted will have a very important role,” Mikkonen said.

Besides the necessary studies, the Ministerial Working Group also discussed the work programme for this autumn more broadly, as well as the monitoring procedures for the objectives of the Government Programme, emission reductions in different sectors and funding directed to climate work.

The topics on the ministerial working group’s agenda towards the end of the year include the amendments to the Climate Change Act, preparation of low carbon roadmaps for individual sectors, low carbon transport, ways to promote the circular economy, and enhancing biodiversity.