Parliamentary body formed to monitor climate policy execution

The government on Thursday appointed a parliamentary group to monitor the implementation of the national climate policy, said the Ministry of the Environment in a press release.

The aim is to make sure that the climate neutrality target will be reached and the measures to be taken will be fair and just.

The group will also discuss the climate policy outlines to be needed in the future. Each party in Parliament has a representative in the monitoring group.

Headed by Maria Ohisalo, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, members of the group are Johan Kvarnström of Suomen Sosialidemokraattinen Puolue (Social Democratic Party of Finland-SDP), Lulu Ranne of Perussuomalaiset (Finns Party), Saara-Sofia Sirén of Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party-NCP), Hannu Hoskonen of Suomen Keskusta (Centre Party of Finland), Inka Hopsu of Vihreä liitto (Finnish Green League), Mai Kivelä of Vasemmistoliitto (Left Alliance), Mikko Ollikainen of Suomenruotsalainenkansanpuolue (Swedish People's Party of Finland-RKP), Peter Östman of Suomen Kristillisdemokraati (Christian Democratic Party) and Harry Harkimo of Liike Nyt (Movement Now).

Markku Ollikainen, Chair of the Finnish Climate Change Panel was included in the committee as permanent expert while Jarmo Muurman, Senior Environmental Advisor, Ministry of the Environment was made Secretary-General.

“The Climate Act sets as the target that Finland will be carbon neutral by 2035. The work to achieve this has started well, but we must make sure that it will continue across government terms. This requires that all parties represented in Parliament are committed to climate work, and the purpose of the parliamentary monitoring group is to support this process,” said Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Maria Ohisalo.

The monitoring group will discuss and follow the plans related to climate change adaptation, their implementation and actions taken under them.

The group will also discuss the findings of climate science, in particular, on the basis of reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC and the Finnish Climate Change Panel.

The role of the group is to support the national implementation and preparation processes, not to make any decisions. As the work proceeds, the group may consult experts and stakeholders as considered necessary.

The tasks of the monitoring group for climate policy are permanent in nature but, at this point, it was considered appropriate to appoint the group until the end of this government term.

The term of the group will end on 30 June 2023. It will meet three times during autumn 2022 and once or twice in spring 2023.