New Climate Change Act Aims At Carbon Neutrality

On 25 May 2022, Parliament approved the government proposal for the new Climate Change Act (government proposal HE 27/2022 vp). The Act is to enter into force on 1 July 2022, and it will repeal the Climate Change Act (609/2015) that has been in force in Finland since 2015. Both the current and the new Climate Change Act set targets and establish a framework for the planning of climate policy in Finland and the monitoring of its implementation.

Planning system for climate policy

The new Act provides for a climate policy planning system, which determines the reduction targets for greenhouse gas emissions, the goals for the strengthening of carbon sinks and adaptation to climate change, and the measures required to reach these goals and targets in different administrative branches. The goal for strengthening carbon sinks was added to the new Act as a new element.